Yealands Family Wines (Yealands) has just become the first winery in the world to carry the DQS Green Company GC-Mark for its winery operation at their Seaview winery in Marlborough.
DQS Group (DQS) based in Germany are one of the leading certification bodies for management systems worldwide. DQS have developed a checklist of criteria to obtain a Green Company GC-Mark that is based on national and international recognized standards and regulations. To receive a Green Company GC-Mark, a company must succeed in “minimising its negative impact upon the environment.”
“From inception in 2008 it has been our goal to be the world’s leader in quality sustainable wine production, so it is particularly pleasing to be again recognized globally for our fine winemaking processes at our Seaview winery,” says Yealands founder and principal, Peter Yealands.
When it comes to sustainability and the environment, Yealands is no stranger to world firsts, having been the first winery in the world to be certified carboNZerocert since inception. Sustainability is at the core of their business with many positively impactful initiatives in place, such as the use of miniature Babydoll sheep, burning of vine prunings and solar and wind power. Another notable initiative is their composting programme, which addresses an industry-wide landfill problem. While composting has been used by farmers for centuries, Yealands’ innovation comes from working beyond its vineyard boundaries to secure positive environmental impact.
Along with their own grape marc waste, partnerships with the aquaculture and forestry industries have driven compost production to more than 50,000 tonnes annually providing benefits to the wider Marlborough region.
The Green Company GC-Mark was approved alongside an ISO 14001 certificate, the international global standard for an Environmental Management System within businesses. This ISO maps out a framework that a company or organisation can follow to set up an effective environmental management system. In the case of Yealands, the ISO 14001 certificate was awarded for the management of the environmental aspects and impacts associated with winemaking at Seaview Winery.
