Skillogalee Estate
Skillogalee is now a proud partner in the landmark EcoVineyards program. This national program helps Skillogalee, as an EcoGrower, to focus on enhancing soil health naturally, establishing ground covers and increasing functional biodiversity across its vineyard. Ecological restoration provides habitat for beneficial fauna, including predatory arthropods, microbats and insectivorous birds that are invaluable in helping to control insect pests. It’s also fundamental in ongoing efforts to strengthen the resilience of Skillogalee’s vineyard to combat the effects of climate change. To reduce tractor compaction and suppress weed growth, the winery has also begun trialing native grass species for mid row vine management including wallaby grass, which was seeded in 2022 and has taken up beautifully. These seeds are self-sowing and will continue to spread across the vineyard in future years. Since 2021, Skillogalee has planted 1500 native plants from eight different species and will be planting more than 500 additional plants this year, incorporating an additional fifteen different species. These plants are creating important new habitats for pollinators and building the ecological health and balance of its 170-hectare estate.
Twice honoured with the Primary Industries and Regions South Australia Regional Wine Award for Sustainability, Skillogalee’s dedication to environmental well-being reflects the winery’s commitment to producing exceptional wines. Practicing biodynamic and organic principles, Skillogalee nurtures its vines in harmony with nature, ensuring every aspect promotes a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. Skillogalee is committed to ecological farming practices as a long-term project and has already seen wins in better vineyard health, worm counts and fruit quality and has many more plans for projects ahead. It’s extremely enriching for the team to farm and care for the land in this way and to improve it for future generations and for the health of the natural world. This commitment underpins Skillogalee’s belief in caring for this exceptional place.