South Australia Archives - Page 2 of 8 - Young Gun of Wine

Vinteloper Vineyard, Adelaide Hills

Originally working only with sourced fruit, David Bowley’s Vinteloper found a home vineyard in the Adelaide Hills only for it to be savaged by fire in 2019. Restoring those lost vines is a demanding project, but it goes hand in hand with his process of regenerative agriculture of both vineyard and non-vineyard land. Extensive planting of native flora, a considered water management strategy and solar power for all electricity needs are all part of Bowley’s approach that is tilted to sustainability on both a local and larger scale, while constantly pushing for quality gains. The site is responsible for the ‘Home’ Shiraz and a pinot noir, shiraz and pinot gris in the Vinteloper ‘White Label’ range.

Turkey Flat Vineyard, Barossa Valley

The Turkey Flat Vineyard has been farmed by the Schulz family since 1865, though the oldest plantings precede their tenure. First planted in 1847, the site has some of this country’s most ancient vines, but they were almost lost in 1987 under the notorious ‘vine pull scheme’. Thankfully, the decision was made to start producing wine rather than just selling fruit, with the Turkey Flat brand born and the first commercial vintage coming in 1990. That decision revived their fortunes, and it also helped buoy the image of Barossa wines. Today, the Schulz family continue their stewardship with a focus on reinvigorating the old vines and establishing new ones from the ancient material. The site is farmed by Mark Przibilla with a sustainable mindset, building biodiversity and rising to the challenges of climate change.

Tscharke – Gnadenfrei North Vineyard, Barossa Valley

Damien Tscharke takes sustainability and transparency very seriously, with his vineyards and winery being certified both organic and biodynamic – a rarity in the Barossa. Solar power meets the energy needs, and only rainwater and recycled wastewater is employed in the winery and for irrigation, while all compost and biodynamic preparations are made inhouse as they work towards a closed loop farming operation. The motivation for this approach is centred around larger environmental goals as much as it is around making better and more expressive wine. Tscharke’s Gnadenfrei North Vineyard is a young one, first planted in 2017, and it is dedicated to the classic red varieties of the region and a handful of white Rhône varieties. It’s a suite of grapes that through the genetic adaption of old Barossa vine material and carefully selected climate-apt emerging varieties, Tscharke believes will be making balanced expressive wines for generations to come. The site currently yields an ultra-premium grenache blanc, a single-vineyard shiraz and a grenache rosé.

Artwine – Springfarm Vineyard, Clare Valley

Artwine’s Springfarm Vineyard in the Clare Valley is home to eight different varieties, with a distinct lean to emerging ones that have been chosen for their suitability to the changing climate. Owned for over two decades by Glen and Judy Kelly, the site complements their cooler Adelaide Hills vineyard, where their cellar door is situated. The Clare site contributes traditional varieties like grenache to the range, along with Mediterranean ones, like fiano, tempranillo, graciano and sangiovese, with new plantings yet to come online.

Pewsey Vale Vineyard, Eden Valley

Owned by Yalumba’s Hill-Smith family, the Pewsey Vale Vineyard is arguably Australia’s most famous riesling site. At meaningful elevation in the High Eden, its sweeping contour-planted vines are instantly recognisable from the iconic image that adorns the labels on the suite of wines, from the standard bearer to the aged release of ‘The Contours’ and a naturally fermented wine from the 1961 vines. Brooke Howell has been nurturing the vines at Pewsey Vale since 2010, with the old Contours Bock certified organic and the whole property managed with a sustainable mindset.

Paeroa Vineyard, McLaren Vale

Matthew Brown’s Paeroa Vineyard supplies fruit for his range of Dr Plonk and Fu Manchu wines as well as other makers with varieties both traditional and emerging. Tannat and montepulciano have joined stalwart red varieties, and have proven to thrive in the Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale. His approach is built around organic practices and a regenerative mindset, with input from Richard Leask as a consultant viticulturist. The sustainable practices extend from increasing soil health and organic matter to reducing fossil fuel usage through solar power and reduced tractor passes, while weeds are removed and grasses kept down through both sheep grazing and manual slashing and cultivation. Brown has also taken the supply of grapes to small makers a step further by making winery space available to pursue their own interpretation of Paeroa fruit, which he grows to their individual specifications.

MMAD Vineyard

The MMAD vineyard is a side project for the team behind Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle, though it’s a significant side project at that, with nearly 20 hectares of vines in the Maslin sands of McLaren Vale’s Blewitt Springs and vines dating back to the 1930s. It’s a site that’s already seen a trio of celebrated premium releases – chenin blanc, grenache and shiraz – from the 2021 vintage, the same year the vineyard was acquired. And while the MMAD label has been swiftly accepted as though it has been around for a decade, vineyard manager Ben Jonas is taking a long-term view on continually enhancing the health of those heritage vines and planning for an even brighter future through a sustainable approach with organic certification on the horizon.

Longview Vineyard, Adelaide Hills

The Longview Vineyard in Macclesfield is somewhat of an Adelaide Hills pioneer. Although it was planted in the late ’90s, a little later than the region’s early adopters, nebbiolo was notably planted alongside a brace of more traditional varieties. That was followed with barbera and Austria’s most important grape, grüner veltliner. Those varieties have proven to be well suited to the region, with Longview making leading examples under their own label, while they have also been a source of contract fruit for many other makers. That has proven to be a significant resource for those not blessed with their own vineyards, while it has also advanced the case for those varieties amongst vignerons and drinkers alike. With ten varieties planted, Longview deviates from tradition in the Adelaide Hills. With 8 hectares of nebbiolo alone, including seven different clones, the vineyard has become one of the most significant sites for this variety in Australia. Longview is also somewhat of a Hills tourist destination, with a day spa and accommodation joining the cellar door. Christopher Mein is the vineyard manager, who is constantly evolving his methods to improve vine and soil health with a focus on biodiversity and sustainability.

Vinteloper Vineyard, Adelaide Hills David Bowley