New Zealand’s air, along with Antarctica’s, is among the clearest on the planet – an advantage bestowed on us by our isolation in the Southern ocean. We’re a country renowned for the crystal-clarity of our star-filled night skies. With Mt John Observatory, near Tekapo, drawing stargazers from all over the globe, and the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve established to protect its unique atmosphere.

​

Protecting our clean, clear air is vitally important, and any vineyard or winery activities that could potentially impact it are constantly examined and refined. New Zealand viticulturists manage their soils very carefully to reduce wind erosion and airborne dust. Burning fires on vineyards is kept to a minimum to control smoke emissions.

​

Spray drift from vineyards is unacceptable, and any spray activities undertaken (synthetic or organic) are carefully monitored and contained. Many New Zealand wineries now use environmentally friendly refrigerants, but regular maintenance is mandatory to ensure that they are not released into the atmosphere. Vineyards and wineries are also expected to monitor and manage their noise and light emissions to reduce social impacts, especially around harvest when work can go on late into the night.