The Vineyard

"A great wine begins in the vineyard"

Our vineyard is located on the land originally granted to Napoleonic War Veterans in the 1830's and which become renowned for its horticultural produce.

Our vision for the vineyard is to produce premium quality fruit through sustainable viticulture - no insecticides and only organically approved fungicides are used.

To capture sunlight and to aid airflow the vines are grown on elevated split canopy trellising. The grapes thrive on the rich alluvial soils of the sheltered valley floor which has a rich diversity of birdlife that control the insects, and those who prefer the taste of grapes are kept away with the use of a birdcall deter system.

With 18 acres (8ha), vineyard maintenance is a full time affair. Hand pruning and training occupy most of winter. A companion crop is often sown between the vines to ensure the health of the soil. With spring comes budburst and constant monitoring with maintenance of the vine's vigour encouraged by mulching the vineyards to supress competing grasses and weeds. Then over a long warm summer, the grapes develop to maturity and are hand-picked from mid February to mid March.

The result of this labour of love - award winning wines and a healthy, indeed superb environment!