Sustainability: Working to reduce Montaluce’s carbon footprint

Building sustainability was one of the goals of winemaker Jake Achorn when he first started at Montaluce. From bees and sheep to the type of spray used throughout the vineyard, Achorn along with ranch manager Nico Szabo are working to reduce the winery’s carbon footprint.

It all starts with the bees and sheep. Our farm bees are used to help pollinate the cover crops used to help our vines grow. We used cover crops to reduce water to the vine and unlock nitrogen in the soil, which is then absorbed by the vines. Montaluce is also the home to roughly a dozen sheep. They are used to help maintain the grass along the property. This helps cut down on herbicide sprays and equipment.

Montaluce is a dry farm, meaning we do not water our vineyard. We rely on what nature brings to North Georgia. We also stick with hand labor, avoiding heavy machines and ultimately reducing our carbon footprint. When it comes to the sprays we used throughout the vineyard, we tailor-make them to focus on the specific bugs we are trying to deter, we don’t broadly spray anything we don’t need to. This also us to not over spray our vines and reduce the herbicides used.

All this brings us to our final product, the estate wine. Starting with our 2022 vintages, all of our wines will be 100% vegan. In order to achieve this, Achorn does not use any unnecessary additives when it comes to his winemaking. Taking a natural approach leads to more vineyard-focused wines.