At DANCIN, sustainability is not just a “feel good” word, it’s woven into the fabric of who we are and therefore it’s a natural extension of what we do. Our Bottom Line? Be a steward of the land who is accountable to future generations.
We believe that one of the keys to a sustainable vineyard is not to react haphazardly to issues that present themselves in the vineyard. We have been taught, and experience confirms that if you maintain an overall healthy vineyard and surrounding ecosystem, nature will resolve most issues that arise in due course. We understand and appreciate the role of nature’s natural assistants. From birds to insects and other wildlife, they all play a crucial role in keeping things in balance…naturally.
We are dry-farmed and we utilize organic farming methods on our original estate planting! Since 2012, we have intentionally extended the date on which we began our first irrigation set. In 2015, it was July 15th and in 2020, it was September 3rd, and then, only for three short sets! We have been dry-farmed ever since!
We also sow new cover crops throughout our blocks consisting of Austrian winter peas, fall cereal ryegrain, crimson clover, annual ryegrass, vetch and buckwheat. At our much steeper upper block we have sown a mixture of perennial ryegrass, creeping red and hard fescues with micro clover. These cover crops attract the insects that are beneficial to our sustainable vineyards. We also gently incorporate the alternating cover crop rows along with the chicken manure into the soil, which provides an organic fertilizer for the vines. Throughout the growing season, we mow (on a very high setting) the cover crop and allow the clippings to naturally work its way into the soil. This process is repeated when appropriate.