Our Commitment
‘‘We make exceptional wine with respect to nature and people’’
At Domaine Hatzimichalis, we are continuing to improve our practices, striving towards a zero-waste goal in the next years.
First, out with the old and in with the new. We have switched over to many recyclable materials, such as new 100% recyclable corks made from sugarcane.
Second, frequent rainfall in the area allows us to reduce watering of the vineyards throughout the year. 30% of our vineyards are naturally xeric. The rainfalls and depth of the vine stocks’ root due to their age are the only sources of water. We have incorporated a tactic of utilizing the naturally stored water through simple drilling in order to avoid using the area's limited water supply.
Third, we have taken the steps to avoid unnecessary fertilizers, which can add toxic chemicals to our land that is home not only to vines, but also to many animal habitats. As such, we have incorporated an environmentally-friendly fertilization process called "green manure" over the past 20 years. In this process, we take the stalks and grape marc from the press as a natural, organic fertilizer to reuse in our vineyards. According to this technique, after the pruning, the parts that have been cut are put back on the ground of the vineyards, biodegrade, and ultimately help keep the vine stocks strong and healthy.
Green manure normally requires a large quantity of water,
but applying it in the winter when precipitation is high allows us to continue minimizing our water consumption.
Domaine Hatzimichalis produces absolutely no winemaking waste during the harvest,
while simultaneously enriching the soil for the next harvest to flourish.
Lastly, we apply the drop-by-drop irrigation technique to achieve the lowest pressure possible in our winery and the bottling department
This method results in lower energy consumption by 60% compared to the energy that would be consumed if we watered our vineyards through the water supply network of the area.
“In the end, we are all part of the nature we need to protect”
At Domaine Hatzimichalis we believe that our success, safety, and quality is a result of three principle values:
The assurance of our employees’ health and safety
The assurance of our consumers’ health and safety
The protection of our environment
Our quality control, certification processes, and staff training ensure that we abide by these values in order to maintain a well-respected brand.
