Felton Road Named Winery of the Year New Zealand for Second Consecutive Year
Felton Road has been named The Real Review Winery of the Year New Zealand for the second year running.
Using their new P100 Pro XAG drone instead of a standard tractor, the Bannockburn vineyard has reduced reliance on diesel by 80%, says owner Nigel Greening. “Farming is tough – hot, cold, physically demanding. But technology like this makes it more attractive and sustainable. The drone runs fully electric. We charge it using our solar PV, which saves on energy costs and diesel use.”
Felton Road Wines received $20,000 co-funding for the drone through the EECA(Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) Technology Demonstration Fund. EECA General Manager Delivery and Partnerships, Richard Briggs, says it is great to see how innovative technology can help wineries improve efficiency and reduce energy use in their operations. “It’s a practical step toward more economic vineyard management and gives them tools that can adapt as their needs evolve.”
Nigel says the efficiency gains have been significant. The drone sprays 50-60% faster than traditional methods, covering a hectare in just 20 minutes – including after rain, when tractors need to wait for dry ground. It has a 50-litre capacity and, even with pauses for battery swaps and tank refills, consistently outpaces ground-based equipment, he says. Advanced features like terrain-following radar, adjustable nozzles, and programmable mapping optimise coverage while minimising chemical use, while infrared sensors can map crop stress and nutrient needs. Nigel says the winery is already seeing comparable results in disease control versus traditional tractors, especially for mildew management.
As well as efficiency gains, the drone improves health and safety, avoiding the risk of tractors tipping on the steep terrain and fatigue-related accidents, while also reducing operators’ chemical exposure. Using a drone also mitigates soil compaction, preserving the ecosystem and cover crops.
The transition wasn’t without challenges – particularly around learning to operate the drone efficiently – but the team quickly adapted, benefiting from improved efficiency and biodiversity outcomes. In the future
they plan to use the drone to distribute compost pellets.
Nigel says drones are more than a tool for Felton Road; they’re a glimpse of the vineyard’s future. “The drone is one of those tools in our toolkit that we’re going to be exploring and playing with. It only does as good a job as we can teach it to do. The great thing with any piece of technology is it frees up humans and gives them time to use their strengths.”
EECA and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand have developed a Wine Decarbonisation Programme to help wine companies reduce emissions through “clean and clever” energy use. As part of the programme, EECA has a selection of free tools, resources and case studies for the wine sector. To see those, and to watch the Felton Road drone in action, to go: eeca.govt.nz/co-funding-and-support/products/wine-decarbonisation-pathway.
