Published on 09 February 2021

McLaren Vale’s Hither & Yon becomes SA’s first carbon-neutral winery

McLaren Vale’s Hither & Yon has become South Australia’s first carbon-neutral certified wine brand, and just the third in Australia to achieve the milestone.

Hither & Yon’s products and business operations were certified carbon neutral on February 1, having met the requirements of Climate Active—a partnership between the Australian Government and Australian businesses to encourage voluntary climate action.

Established in 2011 by brothers Richard and Malcolm Leask, Hither & Yon’s carbon neutral certification—which covers both their McLaren Vale vineyard and Willunga cellar door—comes at the start of the brand’s 10th year. Malcolm said it was a proud day.

“Taking care of our soil and people comes first for us, and our vision for Hither & Yon has always been to make better wines with a lighter footprint,” Malcolm said.

“Our family has been growing in McLaren Vale since 1980, and when Hither & Yon was born we embarked on a land improvement program, from sustainable viticulture, to regenerative agriculture, and now carbon neutral” added Richard.

With climate change in mind, the team are also are practising biodiversity management on their land, re-establishing native corridors, and are well-known for new grape variety establishment.

“Carbon neutral expresses our tenet of being winegrowers who care for our environment and community first,” Malcolm said.

“This year we’ll also be conducting changes to elements of the brand and business practice to further reduce our carbon emissions, and also keep improving our land management in order to increase carbon sequestration in our soil.”

City of Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson congratulated the Hither & Yon team for the major achievement.

“We’re already feeling the impacts of a changing climate, so we all have a role to play in reducing emissions, building resilience and getting climate ready,” she said.

“It’s fantastic to see Hither & Yon playing their part in protecting our unique and fragile environment.”

City of Onkaparinga is playing its part through a range of energy-reducing projects, some of which saw council slash its corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 42 per cent over a decade.

Recent or upcoming projects include creating a renewable energy hub at a Seaford Heights landfill site (through subsidiary Southern Region Waste Resource Authority); switching council’s three highest energy consuming buildings to solar power; and installing SA’s first solar carpark shade at a community building.

McLaren Vale’s Hither & Yon has become South Australia’s first carbon-neutral certified wine brand, and just the third in Australia to achieve the milestone.