Rathfinny Wine Estate takes greater strides towards sustainability

Rathfinny Wine Estate has upped its sustainability drive to make its winery more planet-friendly, reducing its carbon footprint considerably.

The English winery, based in the South Downs in Sussex, revealed that what began as simply putting in a wastewater plant has now led it to becoming more conscientious about waste, its carbon footprint as well as what is best for its wines and its long term future.

Speaking at a WSTA briefing on sustainability and supply chain at the London Wine Fair, Sarah Driver, co-owner of Rathfinny Wine Estate explained: “We bought the farm in 2010 and it was 600 acres of what was known as the prairies of South Downs. When we started, we put in a wastewater treatment plant straight away. Then we put a green roof onto our winery and we were then allowed to put in some solar panels.”

Driver revealed at, at Rathfinny, has now applied for, and is “pretty confident of being allowed to put in, another 1,300 solar panels” which will increase its “electricity capability tenfold and reduce carbon emissions”.

In the vineyard, the Rathfinny Estate has “substantially reduced the carbon footprint using lots of methods,” said Driver. For instance, she indicated that the vineyard has “got some grass corridors in between the vines that we have allowed to grow” and that the winery goes further now by considering all aspects of what is useful and necessary versus what is simply waste.

Driver said: “We compost our grape skins and use them on the vines, we take compost from the local council. We use organic seed fertiliser which we use in a very targeted way. And we’re trying software now so we can be much more targeted and reduce our use of fertilisers.”

Describing the winery’s mission to improve its sustainability for years to come, Driver explained that it has adapted by reconsidering everything that is used on site. She revealed: “We use organic sprays and on our arable land we’ve also changed our practices. So regenerative agriculture, which is very keen to replant in lots of areas, pollen and nectar bases and birds and mixes and in 2023 we are going into a countryside stewardship scheme. We use ponies and sheep on the land and we are working with Natural England and the National Trust.”

The plan, according to Driver, is one that has “a 100 years ahead” outlook and focuses on all aspects of the business, even the side of the winery that hosts visitors and guests to its restaurant. She said: “On the hospitality side, we have just changed our waste-management system. We’ve put in big composters so that we are having zero waste food on site as well.”

Additionally, Driver disclosed how the winery has also now “planted 70,000 trees” and has invested “in things like an electric dialysis machine for cold stabilisation, so we are cutting down on the amount of refrigeration, which is a huge saving” and has now “sourced bottles specifically that use 80% recycled glass” and has just changed its still wine bottle to a lighter weight, with those still wine bottles now all coming from England in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint.

Driver added that “one of the biggest changes we’ve done this year is we have changed our boxes and we’ll use 26% less cardboard, which allows 40% more boxes to go out on pallets which is a huge saving” and a decision “our distributors are really pleased about”.