At Rockburn, sustainability isn’t just a commitment—it’s part of who we are. Since joining the New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing Programme in 2008, we have proudly led the way as early adopters of environmentally responsible viticulture and winemaking. Today, all Rockburn vineyards and our winery hold full SWNZ accreditation and are regularly audited to ensure we continually meet the highest standards.
We see ourselves as kaitiaki—guardians of our land, water, and wildlife. Every year we refine and strengthen our sustainable practices, ensuring we leave the land healthier for future generations.
In the Vineyard
Our 37 hectares of estate vineyards are located across two unique Central Otago subregions (Gibbston 8Ha & Pisa 28Ha), are chosen for their distinctive terroir and ability to produce world-class Pinot Noir and other varietals.
• Water Conservation: At our Parkburn Vineyard, irrigation water is carefully captured in our clay dam from the alpine slopes (rain and snow melt), water is used sparingly to ensuring we only take what we truly need. With dripline irrigation, we achieve water savings of around 30% as we only plant rootstock that aims to be deeprooting and naturally finds moisture.
• Soil Health: After harvest, 100% of our grape marc (skins, seeds, and stems) is returned to the vineyard, enriching and regenerating the soil naturally.
• Cover Crops: Sown in spring and mown in summer, our cover crops support soil health, attract beneficial insects, and help naturally regulate pests.
• Erosion & Biodiversity: Native grasses protect our loamy soils while also providing habitat for local fauna. We also actively plant native species around vineyard blocks, dams and waterways, creating thriving ecosystems that encourage pollinators and support natural predator habitats.
• Zero Plastics: We have heavily reduced plastic use in the vineyard, we use biodegradable vine clips or cotton strips to tie back vines.
• Autonomous Bird Scaring: Rockburn use two solar-charged, fully electric autonomous vehicles on their 28ha Parkburn Vineyard—known as Avvy. These driverless robots navigate the vineyard carrying bird-control tools such as flags, loudspeakers, and gas guns. By replacing traditional bird scaring methods we are reducing carbon emissions, energy use, and operational costs.
• Wild life The Rockburn vineyards are full of life and at times you may see the odd wild deer, goat or pigs
• Sheep Grazing: Over winter, we graze sheep in the vineyards, a natural and sustainable way to manage undervine growth while returning nutrients to the soil.
In the Winery
Our winery operations are designed to minimise waste and energy use while maximisingresource recovery.
• Renewable Energy: Over 98% of our electricity is sourced from renewable hydroelectricity generated right here in Central Otago, primarily from the nearby Clyde Dam (10km away).
• Energy Efficiency Lighting: All winery lighting has been upgraded to LED, reducing energy use by up to 75%.
• Energy-Efficient Winemaking: Our hot glycol system recycles heat from the refrigeration system, while our largest tanks and barrel halls are fully insulated to minimise energy loss. Additionally, our white wines are now cold stabilised using naturally derived potassium polyaspartate, eliminating the need for month-long chilling at -2 °C and significantly reducing energy use.
• Cardboard: 100% recycled cardboard used for Rockburn packaging (cartons & inners). Local supplier Opal NZ produces 100% recycled cardboard, meaning all of their cardboard comes from reused recycled materials.
• Glass: We are proud to support local glass manufacturing, sourcing 100% New Zealand glass bottles from Visy, with 70% recycled glass content.
• Vegan: Rockburn has proudly crafted vegan wines for over 20 years and is registered with the New Zealand Vegan Society. Rockburn pride themself on creating a true expression of Central Otago with wines that are both vegan and vegetarian friendly.
• Zero Waste Goal: Rockburn is committed to diverting over 95% of our waste away from landfill through recycling, composting, and reuse programmes.
• Employee Wellbeing: Our team is trained in sustainability practices and encouraged to bring forward new ideas that reduce Rockburn’s footprint.
We continually review and improve our packaging footprint:
• Our Rockburn Estate and Reserve bottles have been lightened from 705g to 545g each—a reduction of 160g per bottle, saving 1.9kg per case shipped globally.
• For our Devil’s Staircase and Crimson Peak ranges, we’ve transitioned to lightweight 417g bottles, further reducing container weights and shipping emissions.
In the Market
As a small wine producer, we take pride in minimising our environmental impact when travelling.
• Hybrid Company Car: Our winemaker drives a hybrid (electric & petrol) Toyota RAV4, which we use as our main company vehicle for local transport and deliveries.
Flights: At Rockburn, we choose to book and fly economy for all business travel. For example, a return flight from Auckland to London (39,600km) generates around 6.6 tCO‚ÇÇe per passenger in economy, compared with 9.8 tCO‚ÇÇe in Premium Economy and 26.2 t tCO‚ÇÇe in business class. By flying economy, we can reduce our emissions from air travel by up to three quarters.
Our Ongoing Commitment
At Rockburn, sustainability is a journey, not a destination. From protecting alpine waters to reducing glass weight, we take every step with purpose. We are proud of what we have achieved, but our eyes remain firmly on the future—continually striving to improve, innovate, and care for the land that gives us so much.