…and beyond
You can’t think short-term in a vineyard. Vines can live for a hundred to a hundred and fifty years – if we take care of them and maintain them properly. With this in mind, sustainable farming and climate protection are top priorities for Etyeki Kúria.
No matter how dedicated the team is, or how well the winemaker does their job, the weather largely determines the character of each vintage. We are already feeling the effects of climate change, so it goes without saying that our winery operates in accordance with environmental protection guidelines.
In line with integrated grape growing, we have significantly reduced the use of chemicals, and when necessary, we use only environmentally friendly sprays. Covering the inter-row spaces not only protects the soil from drying out but is also an effective solution against weeds and soil erosion.
As a winery, we use a lot of water, so our principle is to do so as sparingly as possible, and in the vineyard, we take care to preserve fallen precipitation. We have been working for years to perfect our water management, building “paths” between the rows down to the foot of the hills where water can flow off, and installing water brakes and micro-terraces.
We have placed birdhouses in the vineyard rows: the birds also help us reduce the number of pests.
Our winery’s energy supply is supported by solar panels, and our cooling-heating system operates on a heat pump principle. We do not treat the by-products generated during winemaking as waste; the grape pomace and lees are passed on for further processing, which can be used as feed or even organic fertilizer.
It is also natural for us to collect waste selectively, both in the vineyard and in the winery.
We want future generations to enjoy the excellent grapes and wine that our vineyards produce, and for that, we must take care of the soil, the plants, and the local wildlife now. Environmental protection is a fundamental interest and duty for us – we strive to do everything we can so that our young and old vines continue to yield quality harvests for a long time to come.
