“Look after the soil and the soil will look after you!”

We believe a regenerative approach to enhancing soil health improves water use efficiency, reduces the reliance on synthetic chemicals and overall improves grape and wine quality.

SUSTAINABILITY

At Howard Vineyard, over the past 29 years we have built a reputation for premium grape growing in the Adelaide Hills; one of Australia’s most exciting regions. As grape growers, winemakers and hospitality operators we understand that working with nature is paramount, as we continue to manage more holistically through building soil health and restoring landscape ecology. As a family-owned wine company, we are committed to ensuring we act in a responsible and sustainable manner by applying this approach to environmental management. We aim to achieve sustainable land and biodiversity management outcomes for the present and the future while continuing to support the community that supports us.

Howard Vineyards Sustainability and Biodiversity action plan objectives:

• Trending towards organic fertilizers and non-chemical weed control techniques to manage vine health, inter-vine groundcover, build soil ecology, increase soil health through under vine cultivation as well as mid row cropping.
• Use strategic grazing techniques (predominantly sheep) to manage weeds and build soil health amongst the vineyard.
• Create diverse, functional inter row cover crops to increase soil health and diversity.
• Implement baseline beneficial athropod monitoring
• Monitor and control weeds impacting vine production.
• Summer cropping in hay paddocks to provide beneficial insectary habitat, but also increase organic matter, improve soil health, improve crop diversity, herbicide resistant week control.
• Restore creek lines, dam surrounds and drainage lines to native vegetation by continuing removal of woody and grassy weeds) and implementing further replanting programs.
• Improve habitat diversity for woodland bird, microbats and beneficial insect species by creating native vegetation stepping stones/refuges (grasslands, woodlands, riparian) across the property. Include key revegetation species.
• Create/ maintain a wildflower insectary garden with a diverse range of colourful native understorey seedlings, which look good and demonstrate the importance of diversity in the vineyard.

Member of Sustainable Wine Growing Australia from 2021 – Current

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is an industry-backed holistic program that ensure Australian wine is resilient and thriving.

As Australia’s national program, it supports the Australian grape growing and winemaking community wherever they are on their sustainability journey, whether they’re just getting started, continually improving as members, or maintaining their certification when they get there. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia provides the framework for internationally recognised sustainability certification in the vineyard and winery.

Certification assessment for 12/12/2025.

Member of Eco – Vineyards Australia from 2023 – Current.

The National EcoVineyards Program aims to accelerate adoption and practice change outcomes specified in Wine Australia’s Strategic plan 2020-25 specifically:

• to increase the land area dedicated to enhancing functional biodiversity by 10 per cent, and
• to increase the use of vineyard cover crops and soil remediation practices by 10 per cent.

Howard Vineyard Case Study: Revegetation and creek line restoration project.

https://ecovineyards.com.au/case-study-howard-vineyard/

Flows for the Future participants. Ongoing

https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/landscape/docs/mr/f4f-program-brochure-may-2018-bro.pdf

As a productive and sustainable business we need healthy water catchments. The Flows for the Future Program aims to improve the health and resilience of catchments in the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges (EMLR). The design and restoration of ‘low flows’ on dams and watercourse diversions, the program is restoring more natural stream flows throughout the stream systems that bring life to the EMLR.

Foundation Member with Hills Biodiversity Program 2020 – Current

https://hillsbiodiversity.org.au/       

Hills Biodiversity utilises experienced bush carers to guide and assist the protection of remnant native vegetation, removal of pest species in order to increase native biodiversity.

• Stage 1: 2020 Completed removal of foreign species from our water course at Howard Vineyard
• Stage 2 : 2021 Complete 1200 native bushes and trees per year for the next 3 years at Howard Vineyard or our Beautiful Valley vineyard. To replace the non-native species and replace lost flora from the Adelaide Hills bushfire.
• Stage 3: 2021/22 Completed 500+ natives along our creek line into the vineyard.
• Stage 4: 2022/23 Completed 1500+ natives along our creek line into the vineyard.
• Stage 5: 2023/24 Completed 700+ more natives in our native flower garden, increase density of plantings on creek bed. Remove non-native from creek bed.
• Stage 6: 2025 Completed replanting of 200+ trees and maintenance of creek line.

Wildlife for Wine

https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/hf/our-priorities/past-projects/wildlife-for-wine

In conjunction with Hills Biodiversity, Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board and Government of South Australia.

COMMUNITY

Over the past 29 plus years, the community has supported us through thick and thin, through bushfires and global pandemics. Without our community support we would not be where we are today. We have selected some organisations that align with our company values, goals and have developed ongoing relationships with them, in an effort to give back to our community.

12 Year Partnership with Can: Do4Kids

Can: Do4Kids formed in 1874 to provide support and services to children, young people and their families, who are blind, deaf, have low vision, are hard of hearing, or have sensory needs. To help support raising proceeds for this incredible charity we have partnered up as their Major Wine Sponsor for their Dinner in the Dark event since 2014. Major Wine Sponsor for this event has been an immense privilege.

• Fund raising exercises at major events est. $5,000 raised at 2025 Winter Reds.
• Online wine offer where 50% of revenues are donated to Can:Do4Kids Available online, to date +$3,000 donated.

Make a Wish Foundation Major Sponsor 2023/24/25 – Make-A-Wish exist to bring amazing people together to grant inspirational, life-changing wishes for children with a critical illness. Work in partnership with sick children. We had the pleasure of being a major wine sponsor via donating wine to the Make-a-wish Ball to help support the amazing efforts of this charity.

Variety 22/23/24 – The Children’s Charity supports kids and families who are facing many challenges through sickness, disadvantage or living with disability. Their work allows kids to gain mobility, to get out and about in the community, to communicate, achieve independence and increase their self-esteem. We had the pleasure of supporting their major event with a wine donation.

Flinders Foundation 21/22/23/24– Major Wine Sponsor for Flinders Foundation is dedicated to supporting medical research and patient care across the Flinders medical precinct. We have the pleasure of supporting them with our ongoing wine donation for their Pink Yellow Blue Enchanted Garden event.

Variety 22/23/24 – The Children’s Charity supports kids and families who are facing many challenges through sickness, disadvantage or living with disability. Their work allows kids to gain mobility, to get out and about in the community, to communicate, achieve independence and increase their self-esteem. We had the pleasure of supporting their major event with wine Sparkling Sponsorship for the event.

Ongoing charity donations to Legacy, Blaze aid, through ANZAC Day revenue, Major wine sponsor for Cystic Fibrosis Australia, Mary Potter Foundation, SAPOL Legacy fundraiser, Little heros foundation, Super Loong Lunch, Bedford industries, Craniofacial Australia, Collaboration for a cause @ Lot 100, RU OK Day, Hutt Street Center, Fat Farmers Foundation, Catherine House, CFS and many others.

Donations valued over $50K in value FY24/25.

Schools Fundraisers

Howard Vineyard has been conducting fundraising activity with our community over the past few years with great success. We have helped raise more then $30k for the below schools and community organisations. We have specifically focused on local schools due to our connection with owners/ teachers including Sharan Northcott, Sophie Northcott, Jessica Northcott and Jacki Magin (Tom’s partner).

• Burnside primary
• Bridgewater primary school
• Cornerstone college
• Craigburn Primary School
• Heathfield High School
• Immanuel High School
• Marryatville High School
• Pembroke
• Scotch College
• Saint Johns Gramma
• Stirling East
• Westminster college
• Scotch College
• Stirling Library Fundraiser
• Mount Barker Fundraiser

Sports Clubs

• Ongoing Gold Sponsorship of Nairne Football Club.
• Ongoing Gold Sponsorship of Noosa Dolphins Rugby Club.
• Ongoing Gold Sponsorship of Old Collegians Rugby Club
• Ongoing Sponsorship of Glenelg Cricket Club/ Glenelg Football Club.
• Ongoing Major Sponsorship of Mount Barker Cricket Club.
• Ongoing Gold Sponsorship of Mount Barker United Soccer Club.
• Ongoing Gold Sponsorship of Mount Barker Football Club.
• Ongoing Partners with Tigers Rugby League Club.
• Ongoing Partnership with Nairne Cricket Club.
• Ongoing Partnership with Stirling Netball clubs.
• Ongoing Sponsorship with Coorong Cats Clubs.
• Ongoing Partnership with Easter Falcons Club