Sustainability

The holistic sustainability practiced at Bartinney is about more than preserving the natural environment, it includes the biosphere of Banhoek Valley as a whole. Truly great wine begins in the vineyard and a great vineyard is founded in a diverse and healthy ecological environment.

More than 7000 trees have been planted and fynbos endemic to the area re-established on 17 hectares of rehabilitated land from what was previously a pine and gum plantation. Rose started her own nursery growing indigenous water-wise fynbos to restore the neglected slopes, and provide habitats for a wide array of organisms. The new plantings of fynbos form an ecological corridor that runs from the lofty Botmaskop down to the Zevenrivieren River.

Biological pest control rather than pesticides are used and no herbicide has been sprayed in 8 years. This together with the planting of native fynbos corridors from mountain to river has brought back the birds in abundance and the porcupines and rooikatte (lynx). A resident cape silver fox, honey badger pair and two leopards have been captured on the mountain camera. A buffer zone of proteas between the vineyards and the mountain discourages local baboons from raiding the grapes. Birds and animals aren’t all that have come back, when the final blue gum was felled, a spring that hadn’t flowed in 40 years began to flow again.

50% of Bartinney’s power is generated through solar. The farm is proudly a long-standing Champion status in the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative since September 2010. Rose is a founding member and Trustee of the Banhoek Conservancy, whose goal is for the social upliftment of the poorer communities in Banhoek and environmental improvement of the natural areas of the greater Banhoek Valley.