Water Conservation/Management

Château Tanunda is conscious about the importance of its practices when it comes to the management of natural resources. Water conservation has always been a priority and we constantly look at improving our methods though innovation in order to minimize our carbon footprint.

The Château recycles 100% of its water!

All of the Chateau and winery wastewater is treated in a series of cascading reed beds and is used to irrigate the vineyards and grounds around the Chateau. We are finding that our water treatment system of reed beds has more capacity than we supply, so we are investigating recycling local wastewater for further use in vineyards. We use non-potable water for our general washdown, along with water efficient pressure-washers and nozzles.

Water irrigation and Dry Farming

The Barossa is a premium region and we do not produce wines from high yielding vines. Low yields per vine require much less additional water which is ideal. Our farming methods are at much more sustainable levels, and the wine quality is the proof of it.

The Barossa has some natural gifts when it comes to our rainfall patterns. Late Winter and Spring are the wettest times of the year and natural rainfall levels mean we have limited water requirements from irrigation. The deep soils on the valley floor also have reasonable water holding capacity which sustains healthy vine growth. However the climate is trending to decreased rainfall and hotter dryer summers so we are changing our vineyard practices to suit.

We choose cleaning chemistry that is kind to the environment, removing the need for water intensive rinsing protocols. All our sites are drip irrigated which provides us with the most control over water management. Each vine has its own dripper, targeting the base of the vine to ensure minimal wastage.