"Tanned, clean-shaven, freshly blow-waved and resplendent in front of a huge plate of saucy potato wedges, Chris Gambitsis (Gambo), dressed in expensive jeans, crisp shirt (half-unbuttoned) and a dapper sport coat with leather patches on the elbows, is all about attracting the birds. Sometimes known for kitting himself out in Harley Davidson gear, today he's holding court at The Dux Live bar in Christchurch where he's invited members of the trade to taste his new Lake Chalice wines.

It's important that he does a good job of encouraging these people to list them in their establishments because without this ongoing support Lake Chalice couldn't continue its work helping to re-establish wild falcons in Marlborough.

Twenty three years ago, when the ex-restaurateur/engineer was establishing his vineyard, he watched a pair of native falcons perform their intricate courtship ritual above Wairau Plain. Like hawks, falcons are streamlined, fast-flying birds of prey sometimes referred to as raptors. The term "raptor" is derived from the Latin word "rapere", meaning to seize or take by force.

Inspired by the endangered birds' powerful air battle,...

Last night Prime Minister John Key officially opened Mission Estate?s recently completed Napier winery. It was a major statement for the New Zealand winemaking industry, with the country?s oldest winemakers revealing how they are deploying up-to-the-minute technology and sustainable practices throughout their operation.

Currently celebrating their 160th birthday, Mission Estate have capitalised on their unique heritage to become one of New Zealand?s most innovative companies. Times are tough in the wine industry, but Mission Estate is a notable success story.

Their purpose-built new winery demonstrates Mission Estate?s commitment to producing wines of exceptional quality while ?living lightly on the land?.

The modern refrigeration systems enable wine processing with a minimal carbon footprint. Tilt slab thermo-mass construction, with high tech insulated walls and ceilings, helps to keep energy use at approximately one quarter of the industry benchmark. The winery is operated under an environmental management system and audited to an ISO 14001 accreditation.

?The Mission Estate winery gives us the capacity to continue our domestic and international growth,? said Peter Holley, CEO of Mission Estate. ?Thanks to advanced viticultural and winemaking techniques, along with continuing innovations, our business is sound...

Peter Yealands pioneered mussel farming in New Zealand and has for the last decade ploughed his considerable energy and entrepreneurial flair into Yealands Wine Estate in Marlborough. He spoke to Good editor Sarah Heeringaabout his latest ideas.

Good: You seem to be interested in everything, not just wine.

Yealands: I?m a jack of all trades and a master of one! But I?m throwing all my energies into the wine business, for sure. Which doesn?t mean that I can?t help others in the business try different things. Our winery is a great opportunity for all of these clever people to come in with ideas about saving energy and sustainable production that they?d never be able to or have the scope to do it previously.

Good: But still the vision comes from you, right?

Yealands: Yes but it?s a coming-together of brains, not necessarily all mine. I want the smartest sustainable winery that I can get, with constraints ? this is my budget, it has to fit into the landscape, I want natural products, resources,...

The Greening Waipara project is a biodiversity initiative that has attracted support from more than 50 local vineyards in the Waipara region and has spread to winegrowing regions around New Zealand and overseas.

The aim is to boost biodiversity, improve vineyard sustainability, benefit conservation, develop ecotourism and promote the region?s wine.

Read More from Amanda Cropp in the Idealog online Magazine: http://idealog.co.nz/magazine/29/green-among-vines

Graeme Norton, from Agrecovery programme manager 3R Group, says there was strong interest in the trial from grape growers and others in the industry to support a permanent solution.

?Agrecovery has helped the primary sector improve sustainability a great deal in recent years with the introduction of the agrichemical container and silage wrap recycling programmes and a system for disposing of expired or unwanted chemicals.

?It makes sense for us to look for solutions for other primary sector waste issues and it?s no secret that disposing of crop protection net causes the viticulture industry in particular big problems.

Orchardists also have similar issues with disposal of net used for protecting cherries and other crops.?

Crop protection net is critical to production for both viticulture and many stone fruit crops and can be reused for up to 10 years. However once it reaches the end of its useful life disposal optionsare limited and some councils...