Thousands of tonnes of Marlborough winery waste could be transformed into a valuable resource for vineyards through a new regional programme led by Bragato Research Institute.
The Marlborough Circular Wine Programme will collect winery lees, the sediment left over from winemaking, and combine it with materials such as compost and biochar to produce a safe, beneficial soil amendment. The initiative has aimed to reduce waste and emissions while returning organic matter and nutrients to vineyard soils.
Large volumes of lees can be produced over a relatively short winemaking period during and after vintage. They can be expensive to dispose of and place pressure on regional wastewater and waste-management infrastructure.
As disposal costs rise and environmental expectations increase, Marlborough wineries need a more sustainable regional alternative.
“Marlborough wineries produce large volumes of solid and liquid lees, which are currently treated as waste,” said Programme Leader Dr Seth Laurenson.
“Our goal is to create a coordinated regional system that safely returns that organic matter and its nutrients to vineyard soils.”
The programme will collect lees from participating wineries and process them into a beneficial soil amendment. Wineries pay a disposal fee designed to be competitive with landfill costs, while the finished product will be returned to participating vineyards at no additional cost.
Over four years, the programme aims to divert more than 3,500 tonnes of solid lees from landfill and wastewater systems each year, mitigating around 4,700 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions.
"This programme is an excellent example of the wine industry, researchers and government working together to solve a costly waste problem and turn it into a regional resource."
If we can demonstrate a safe and commercially viable model in Marlborough, the approach could provide a blueprint for other wine regions.
The four-year programme has a combined investment of NZD 6.98 million. The Government has invested NZD 2.79 million through the Primary Sector Growth Fund, alongside NZD 4.19 million in co-investment from New Zealand Winegrowers and participating wineries. The programme has also been supported by The Green Circle and Marlborough District Council.
BRI will lead the scientific testing, quality assurance, and system design needed to demonstrate that the model is sustainable and practical at commercial scale. The programme will also develop a business case for establishing a permanent regional facility.
The Marlborough Circular Wine Programme is the first initiative of its kind at commercial scale in New Zealand’s wine sector.
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