Yealands Winery Global Leaders in Sustainable Wine Production
To craft truly compelling wines — today and in the future — a winemaker must protect and work in harmony with Earth’s precious resources.
That idea is central to the philosophy at Yealands, a New Zealand winery founded in 2008 with the express goal of creating the most sustainable winemaking operation on the planet. From achieving carbon neutral certification even before their grand opening, to maintaining one of New Zealand’s largest solar displays, Yealands wines are proof that environmental sustainability and world-class wine go hand in hand.
Along with extensive efforts to preserve their vineyards and the region’s natural resources, Yealands crafts fine New Zealand wine from the country’s star grape varieties, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Yealands wine hails from vineyards in the Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley in Marlborough, one of New Zealand’s premier wine-producing regions. Their crown jewel, Seaview Vineyard, is one of the most coastal vineyards in the country. Perched on rugged terrain, the vines are buffeted by sea winds and mist and benefit from a broad palette of soil types. In short, the perfect conditions for growing grapes with the racy, natural acidity and intense aromas and flavors that are hallmarks of wine from New Zealand. And it all comes together back at their state-of-the-art winery, where the winemaking magic is overseen by Natalie Christensen (International Wine Challenge White Winemaker of the Year 2023).
Extraordinarily delicious, hugely popular, and models of real sustainability, Yealands wines are a new benchmark style of New Zealand. As climate change continues to unfold, the team is poised to carry their viticulture and winemaking into a greener tomorrow.
Yealands Highlights
Among their numerous, intensive efforts in sustainability, Yealands was the world’s first carboNZeroCertTM certified winery and is home to one of New Zealand’s largest solar power arrays.
Vivacious and complex with beautiful texture, Yealands wines are a new benchmark style for New Zealand.
The winery’s pristine Seaview Vineyard is one of New Zealand’s most coastal vineyards and yields incredibly concentrated and aromatic grapes.
Yealands was named Champion of Champions at the 2024 Green World Awards, sweeping five awards categories for their sustainable initiatives.
A ‘View’ Into the Natural Beauty of Yealands Wine
Standing atop the coastal hillside in the Seaview Vineyard, it’s clear: the environment here is what makes Yealands wines so special. The salty air, the cooling breeze whipping around you, the layers of complex soil beneath your feet, and the sound of waves crashing — it’s a place of rugged beauty. Not far away is the estate’s largest wetland area, Twin Lakes, where visitors can explore Butterfly Gully and enjoy a thriving population of monarchs. At Yealands, nature takes center stage, and the wines are all the better for it.
Terroir
These are Awatere Valley wines, taken to the next level.
The Yealands estate winery is located in Marlborough, on the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s nestled in the Awatere Valley, the southern-most, coolest, and driest district of Marlborough. It has a harsher climate than the nearby Wairau Valley, which stresses the vines but keeps them healthier, controlling yields. Soils have more minerality from quartz and volcanic material pushed up over millions of years on a fault line. In the middle of it all sits the estate’s marquee property, Seaview Vineyard, which is made up of 133 vineyard blocks totaling just over 1,000 hectares / 2,471 acres. The cooler climate and strong winds here force vines to grow smaller berries with thick skins. The result: grapes that are bursting with natural, fresh acidity and concentrated fruit flavors.
Elegant Wines for Modern Drinkers
Yealands approach to winemaking is to capture the flavors provided by the vintage to deliver the best possible expression of the terroir. Efficient, modern harvest equipment allows the vineyard team to pick fruit at optimal ripeness. Sauvignon blanc is made and aged in stainless steel at cold temperatures with specially selected yeasts to preserve its freshness and character. It is stabilized and gently filtered before bottling. Pinot noir receives a cold maceration, then a hot fermentation with added yeast. Aging (including a natural malolactic fermentation) takes place on fine lees in a mixture of French barriques for about nine months. And in response to the needs of modern, health-conscious consumers, all Yealands wines are vegan friendly.
Talent, Passion & Great Wines
Natalie Christensen is, by anyone’s measure, a true Renaissance Woman. She’s an academic with multiple degrees, including a Master of Science, as well as a classically trained double bass violinist. She even spent a few years working as a firefighter.
As Chief Winemaker for Yealands, she’s helping shape an incredibly colorful narrative for the future of this already-pioneering New Zealand estate. Prior to her joining Yealands in 2015, Natalie worked harvests in France, Oregon, and Spain before teaming up with other notable New Zealand wineries, Saint Clair Family Estate and Matahiwi Estate. She’s been honored with a raft of professional kudos like her 2023 “White Winemaker of the Year” win at the International Wine Challenge.
Leading the Way in Reducing Emissions
Yealands was founded with the goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally friendly winery, so it’s not an exaggeration to say that care for the environment is at the core of everything the Yealands team does. Here’s just a snapshot:
Yealands was the world’s first carboNZeroCertTM winery and is working towards the ultimate goal of becoming carbon negative by 2050.
The winery roof is home to a large solar panel array, and a further installation is in development to increase their renewable energy generation and power winery operations.
Each year, Yealands bales 10% of its vine prunings and burns them in custom-built boilers. The energy produced by incineration heats the water and glycol used in the winery, preventing landfill waste and reducing annual emissions.
Yealands uses bottles that are 89% lighter than standard glass wine bottles to shrink its carbon footprint, and all packaging is recyclable.
Wildflowers and crops are planted between the vine rows; this emphasis on biodiversity attracts beneficial wildlife that naturally handle pests and reduces mowing operations.
