Not only is Mt Majura Vineyard a top-notch and well-known winery in the Canberra region, but the community-focused local business represented the ACT at the recent 2022 National Landcare Awards in the farming category.
The Award highlights organisations that integrate sustainable land management on their farm properties, including protecting soil, water, vegetation, and biodiversity.
Winemaker at Mt Majura Vineyard, Frank van de Loo, values conscientious, purposeful, and sustainable practices in his work, which has shone a national spotlight on the regenerative vineyard.
Ecological action is at the heart of Mt Majura Vineyard, and Frank says the future of the vineyard rests on making sure the land is taken care of.
It’s not just about making good wine, it’s about who may be making wine on the land in 50 years’ time, he says.
“It was really lovely to be nominated,” smiles Frank.
“I think it [the award nomination] was reasonably broad – obviously involved a lot of things about sustainability in the vineyard, but it also involved things like the fact that we have a bit of a culture of innovation in the business, the fact that there was community engagement as well, so we’re sharing what we’re learning.
“We try to be involved in our community in other ways as well, so it’s not just purely about the nitty-gritty of what we do in the vineyard.”
A member of the Majura Valley Landcare group, Mt Majura Vineyard assists with issues that affect their neighbours up and down the valley and are members of the two wine industry associations in the district.
“We try and share our knowledge and help others, particularly people who are newer in the industry, and we’re involved in national bodies and associations as well,” says Frank.
“It’s important because with winemaking in Australia there is probably, this is just rough figures, but you’ve got four or five companies that make about 95 per cent of the wine, and then you’ve got about 3,000 wineries that make up the other five per cent.
“So, there’s a lot of small guys and then there are a few big guys. If you’re working in one of the big companies, you’ve got lots of people around you for learning and support. If you’re a little guy like we are, we’ve just got seven staff and everyone has a speciality in different areas, but we do everything from growing it, to making it, to selling it.”
Conscious of the longevity of the vineyard, Frank is dedicated to ensuring the vines will remain fruitful in 100 years’ time.
“You want the soil to be better than when you started, not worse… we’re seeing a lot of changes as well,” he says.
“The climate is changing so we have to keep adapting and there’s been a lot of work involved in figuring out what are the best varieties, changing out management techniques where we see that it’s not optimal, what can we do better… and I guess because I have a background in science, I find it all really interesting, but also I want to take a very considered approach to it.
“Wine growers all around the world will end up with different approaches and your approach has to suit your environment, your soil, and your climate and so on. We try to understand the system and work with it rather than against it.”
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