Neethlingshof Estate – Carbon Heroes

About neethlingshof estate

Neethlingshof Estate is an iconic landmark located just outside the town of Stellenbosch, in the renowned Cape Winelands. Historic and authentic with roots dating back to 1692, Neethlingshof produces superior, terroir driven wines for local and international markets. Climate and vines co-exist at Neethlingshof in perfect harmony, and sustainable management practices are employed to enhance this relationship and ensure top vine performance consistently from year to year. Neethlingshof is committed to biodiversity-friendly and regenerative farming practices, conserving natural areas and continually improving water and energy efficiencies.

Neethlingshof Estate's Sustainability Initiatives

Fertiliser Practices

Neethlingshof uses a balanced approach, combining: Organic fertilizers, such as Guanaboost, and Inorganic fertilizers, specifically NPS.

Water Wise

Neethlingshof monitors soil moisture using 20 neutron probes to optimise irrigation. Neethlingshof farms 8.83 ha of old vines as dryland vineyards. Water from cellar processes is recycled and used to irrigate the vineyards

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Grape waste is composted through a service provider. Byproducts like lees and wine tartrates are recycled. Glass, paper, cardboard, and plastic are all sorted and recycled to minimize landfill contributions.

Biodiversity

To reduce the use of insecticides, Neethlingshof employs biological control for pests like the Kalander beetle, which feeds on vine leaves. Neethlingshof plants wheat as a cover crop, which dries out in summer (October/November). When rolled, its grains drop into the inter-rows, attracting guinea fowl. These birds not only consume the wheat but also feed on Kalander eggs laid in the soil. Neethlingshof leaves a “water shoot” at the base of each vine to slow the Kalander’s upward movement, minimizing their impact on the canopy.

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CARBON HEROES QR CODE

Through this digital recognition platform, we celebrate the Carbon Heroes taking part in the Confronting Climate Change (CCC) Initiative for their considerable effort in calculating and understanding their carbon emissions.

Each Carbon Hero has their own digital QR code that can be displayed on their website and other marketing material, linking directly to their individual profile on the Carbon Heroes website.

The QR code provides a simple and innovative way for customers to learn about each Carbon Hero’s carbon offsetting and other sustainability initiatives, as well as engage with them on social media and other marketing channels.

With the Carbon Heroes QR code we aim to support a global transition towards sustainable development by recognising and celebrating the positive environmental impact of each Carbon Hero. By having a transparent display of their commitment to reducing emissions, Carbon Heroes demonstrate their dedication to a sustainable future, while building trust in their brand.

Find out more about the Carbon Heroes and CCC

Carbon Heroes is a recognition platform built on the ethos of transparency and trust. While only emissions datasets graded by Blue North qualify for the platform, we do not independently verify all the information our Heroes choose to post. By signing up to the platform each Carbon Hero acknowledges that they are responsible for the information they share and that, by sharing their sustainability credentials, their information is in the public domain and open to be scrutinised. We welcome such scrutiny. We have a clear set of guidelines for the use of the platform and the qualification for the various digital labels, and reserve the right to revoke the use of the platform where it is found these guidelines are not being followed and/or the information posted is misaligned with the stated ethos. Thank you for helping us maintain the integrity of the Carbon Heroes platform and our efforts to promote greater transparency and sustainability.