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  • Weather

    15° C Clear sky
  • Time

    23:05 PM
  • Wine average?

    87 Tb
  • Country Ranking?

    128
  • Region Ranking?

    43
  • Popularity ranking?

    253

History

The story of the Gemtree has grown to mean so much more than a fable shared with the Buttery and Brown children. It came from Melissa, Andrew and Mike’s passion for the environment and acknowledgement of the importance of the vineyard ecosystem. It symbolises everything that the brand stands for.

Paul and Jill Buttery established the Gemtree vineyards in McLaren Vale in 1980. Now their son Andrew runs the business, their daughter Melissa Brown (nee Buttery) is the Biodynamic Viticulturist and her husband, Mike Brown is the Chief Winemaker.

For the Butterys and Browns it is not just about winemaking… it is about setting new standards for sustainable, generational farming. We see ourselves as custodians of the land and we want to leave it in a better condition than we found it. We want our legacy to live on for our children.

 

This is our Gemtree story…

There was once a tree. Not the tallest tree, nor the oldest tree, but a tree that had put its roots in just the right part of the paddock. Here the soil was deep and layered - sometimes hard and rocky, elsewhere soft and sandy - and the wind had just enough room to move, and even the rain - when it was kind enough to visit - would fall evenly and gently.

Because of its favoured position, the grasses grew tall against its trunk, and the wild flowers were easily encouraged to grow closely around it, and the insects and birds that looked to trees for shelter and for vantage, eagerly moved in.

One day a farmer approached the tree and wondered: “You do not grow the strongest, nor the fastest, so why is it that you grow the best fruit?”

The tree let the answer whisper through the wind in its branches: “If I am shown a patient mind and a gentle hand, if I am left to follow the rhythms of my seasons – to rest in Winter; to revive in Spring; to make busy in Summer; and to provide in Fall – then I can offer fruit that tastes not just of the ground upwards, but also of the sky downwards, and of everything around me.”

The farmer thought to himself: “This is truly a Gemtree – it takes only what it can give back to the land, it contributes to its surroundings, and it provides for those that live around it.”

This is the heart of the Gemtree story: growing better wine ~ naturally.

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Winemaking

Our philosophy around sustainability is simple, it is the right thing to do. It is not just about winemaking, it is about setting new standards for sustainable, generational farming. We seek sustainable solutions in every aspect of our business including:

Our Sustainable Cellar Door

Our sustainable cellar door opened in April 2013. It was purpose built in Sydney and now sits lightly upon the earth on stilts. From recycled materials and energy efficient utilities to a huge solar panel and worm farm to recycle our food scraps, the design of our cellar door is the perfect reflection of the Buttery family’s commitment to sustainability and the environment. Click here for all of the sustainable features.

Our Wine Labels

The paper stock for our labels is RafWine Bagasse, a unique uncoated paper created from natural fibre-based pulp derived from sugar cane waste.

Solar Panels

We are an energy neutral operation with a whopping 99 kilowatt system on the roof of the winery and a 10 kilowatt system at the cellar door covering the energy usage of both facilities. The winery solar system comprised of 396 panels and covers over 650 sqm of the winery roof. You can see the cellar door panels from the deck.

Recycling

We recycle everything we can from every aspect of the business, the cellar door, winery, vineyards and offices. We even recycle our printing cartridges through Close The Loop.

Printed Collateral

We keep our printed collateral to a minimum and wherever possible we select recycled paper stock.

McLaren Vale Sustainable Winegrowing Program

Gemtree is part of the McLaren Vale Sustainable Winegrowing program. We were actually one of the first wineries to jump on board their first pilot group.

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