PROTECT Rapaura Springs grape marc
Making their Marc Innovators transform grape marc into a resource SOPHIE PREECE
GRAPE MARC is increasingly being celebrated as a resource, says Wine Marlborough advocacy manager Vance Kerslake, as companies prepare for the vintage ahead. Two grape marc initiatives piloted last year are gearing up for the onslaught of harvest, while individual companies make plans for disposing of - or investing in - their own marc, says Vance. “In the past, poor disposal of grape marc has threatened to damage the industry’s reputation. But the level of commitment to good disposal in recent years showed companies are taking the challenge seriously.” Indevin spread more than 16,500 tonnes of grape marc to its Bankhouse paddocks last vintage, and will roll out the initiative again this year. The company’s project manager for green spreading, Sandy O’Connell, says all eight companies involved last year have opted in again for 2020, along with two new players. Together, the 10 companies will deliver between 20 and 25,000 tonnes of grape marc - the skins, seeds and stalks left after 14 / Winepress February 2020
winemaking - to Bankhouse Estate Vineyard, where it will be spread across approximately 350 hectares of bare land. Sandy says last year’s spreading was highly successful and fully compliant with the conditions set by the Marlborough District Council (MDC), including detailed follow-up soil analysis. The land is used for crops, which grew well in the areas that had been treated with grape marc, he says. Indevin has also worked with Remarc to establish a fully operational anaerobic digestion (AD) pilot plant at its Riverlands winery. Sandy says the initial experimental plan and report have been completed, with positive outcomes in terms of the ensiling process, loading rate, biogas yield, nutrient concentration and pesticide breakdown. “The next step is further investigation of fertiliser market options, and it is hoped that a decision on the full scale plant will be able to be made post that data update.” Matt Oliver - Marlborough District Council environmental scientist, land
“We are expecting that the application of marc to the site will be very beneficial both to the soil and for the cropping operation on the farm.” Matt Oliver Management - says Indevin ran the grape marc spreading process well from the start. “Indevin came to us when the idea was in its infancy… We got a chance to have input before the consent was applied for.” At council’s request, Indevin conducted detailed science prior to consenting, to better understand how to minimise risk, he says. “The post-application monitoring is on-going and with the assistance of a local soil scientist, we are expecting that the application of marc to the site will be very beneficial both to the soil and for the cropping operation on the farm, while providing a sustainable
