Marlborough Circular Wine
The Marlborough Circular Wine Group is an industry-led group supported by the regional wine association Wine Marlborough Ltd, the national association New Zealand Winegrowers, and the Marlborough District Council.
The group’s mission is to enhance the environmental impact of the Marlborough wine industry.
Types of Work
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A collaboration between Yealands and Greencircle is piloting a method to convert grape waste into 80% pure carbon. The resulting product, biochar, can hold up to four times its weight in moisture, provide a home for soil microbes, boost the value of compost and fertiliser, and could be added to animal feed. Learn more here or connect with Greencircle on facebook.
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While evaluating alternative options to processing Marc, the Marlborough Circular Wine Group members are also looking at storage methods including potential ensilage and further drying.
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Click here to download a fact sheet for Marc Spreading Parameters and checks prior to spreading.
Marc Project
Lees Project
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Delegat kindly hosted an industry visit to their processing site in September 2023 to show fellow winemakers and vineyard operations managers the new decanter they had installed. Craig Lindsay hosted this, and talked through the installation, and how their processing and waste outputs had changed as a result.
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Trials at Steerco member, Rose Family Estate have proven that Geobags are a cost effective solution for dewatering lees to circa 50% solids, able to be stacked on pads that capture run off or placed in containers that drain to wastewater. Click here for the presentation slides from RFE and connect with Nick for further learnings.
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For the last two harvests, industry briefing sessions have been supported by the Marlborough Circular Wine Group in an attempt to better understand the barriers to wastewater compliance each year.
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Next steps for the group include investigating circular solutions for the dewatered 'solid' lees and water polishing solutions to upcycle wastewater for irrigation.
Other Initiatives
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We're working closely with glass suppliers to better understand their emissions profiles, plans and targets. We held a session with Angus McDonald from Chandler in May 2024.
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With numerous electrification solutions in trial across the country and hydrogen a hot topic, the Marlborough Circular Wine Group are sharing learnings and pursuing trials. Click on the items below to see ideas shared:
Mitsui and Hirangi approach to hydrogen
A thought leadership session with Dr Simon Nordestgaard, Principal Engineer at the AWRI was held in May 2024.
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We advocate for practical, sustainable outcomes by providing feedback on proposed policies, ensuring they support industry progress without creating unintended barriers.
In April 2025 we provided a submission to the proposed Waste By-law at Marlborough District Council.
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The Circular Wine Group brings people together to explore ideas and practical solutions that support a more circular wine industry. These sessions create space for shared learning and discussion with experts, peers, and local partners.
Regenerative practices vineyard workshop – Joseph Brinkley. This is on page 14 of the July 2025 Winepress
Waste Bylaw event. This is on page 24 of the September 2025
If you have ideas or questions please contact Liz Webb (facilitator) at liz@practics.co.nz
About the Marlborough Circular Wine Group
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Marlborough is responsible for over three-quarters of the wine production of New Zealand. As a region, we are recognised as one of the most powerful wine brands globally and wine is the single most important export for the region economically.
Yet that success brings with it a huge volume of organic waste, a sizable consumption of energy and a meaningful mark on the Marlborough landscape.
As our socially conscious markets (rightly) become more selective of the brands they support, it becomes not just our obligation but also a huge opportunity for Marlborough to showcase our commitment to our land and our sense of kaitiakitanga – governing how we care for it.
With this opportunity firmly in sight, some of the most respected names in the industry have come together, under the banner of Marlborough Circular Wine Group, to turbocharge Marlborough Wine industry’s focus on circular outcomes. We look forward to you joining us on the journey.
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The Marlborough Circular Wine Group was developed by Wine Marlborough Ltd with the support of Marlborough District Council as a ‘CIT’ group (“Collaboration, Innovation and Transformation”). During this research and set up phase, a number of key insights stood out as fundamental requirements for true industry-wide impact. These include:
A steering group that was passionate AND commercial and empowered to move projects forward.
A culture of absolute openness, with a commitment to making learnings and practices available to the entire industry.
A desire to ‘just get going’, with minimum viable products, prototypes and in-field trials that start small but show potential.
A collaborative approach to all industry stakeholders (and OTHER industries too), to ensure that change will be long term, well-leveraged and impactful.
The group self-formed mid 2023 and has been meeting monthly since.
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Our group is comprised of the following representatives, balancing views from both the biggest and the most boutique.
We love inviting guests to join the Marlborough Circular Wine Group as projects and goals require, with Plant and Food and BRI both contributing to current collaborative outcomes at present.
Nick Entwistle, Rose Family Estate - Co-Chair
Malcolm Clemett, Kono - Co-Chair
Jim White, Cloudy Bay
Tracey Marshall, Vinarchy
Matt Gallop, Constellation
Andree Piddington, Yealands
Jess Thomas, Indevin
Emily Lamont, Delegat
Alistair Thomson, Hortus
Richard Ellis, The Marlborist
Matt Mitchell, Marisco
Ruth Berry, Wine Marlborough
Ed Massey, New Zealand Winegrowers
Dorien Vermaas, Marlborough District Council
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Although there’s a mountain of work we could embrace, we’ve narrowed our focus to just three clear (but lofty) goals:
Lees – to eliminate liquid lees to ponds and dewatered sludge to landfill by 2026.
Marc – to implement a long-term, sustainable solution for grape marc by 2030 AND
Regenerative practices – to start with a definition of regenerative viticulture that is relevant and restorative for Marlborough.
Decarbonisation of fuel
Recycling
Glass and
Reduction in water use
We can’t help but be drawn in to other fascinating topics though, and have firmly in our sights. However opportunities in these sectors will be evaluated in the context of the above three priorities and the resources available to us as momentum gains.
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Our top three outcomes each have different timelines depending on the magnitude of the task however, we’ve set ourselves tangible ‘objectives and key results’ in all programmes of work so we’re breaking down the more daunting takes into manageable chunks. While goals will change as we iterate, we are focussed on ensuring there are a good balance of short term wins and longer term sustainable changes.
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As the plan evolves, your participation and feedback is essential! Here’s how you can help.
Register your interest in being involved this will keep you in the know, on the list and on our radar as an advocate
Join our events. We’ll be opening up most of the forums/ learning opportunities we secure to the wider group so make sure you join (either online or in person) and if you can’t make it, there are usually notes!
Get your hands dirty! We’re a group that love to experiment but for us to make a real difference we need widespread adoption! Whether its popping a geobag on site for lees or offering a trial site for one of our more promising start-ups, we’ll be sure to let you know how you can help.
If you have ideas or questions please contact Liz Webb (facilitator) at liz@practics.co.nz