Bart Arnst is one of New Zealand’s leading organic grape growers. In another life, he may well have been a prop in the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, or, perhaps a member of the Hells Angels MC. But, in this one, he plays the role of a gentle giant sitting amongst a sward of yarrow cover … Continue reading ‘Push The Progression’ – Bart Arnst and The Darling Wines of Marlborough, N.Z
There’s a hill in Hawke’s Bay that is divided in half by two names. It pushes high into the sky and looks out over the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle, two of Hawke’s Bay’s most famous winegrowing sub-regions. Just over 30 years ago, this whole area was a literal wasteland. A speedway track, an army … Continue reading ‘Balance Above (a Beautiful Wasteland)’ – Bilancia/La Collina, Hawke’s Bay, N.Z.
“I have a few colleagues who are very particular about the way they think wine should be made… When we released our first wine, in 2012, we had no idea what we were going to call it, and someone at work said to me, ‘the way you make wine is the wrong way’, and I said, … Continue reading ‘Learn The Rules’ – The Other Right, South Australia
“Vintage was quick this year,” says Josh Pfeiffer from Whistler Wines in the Barossa Valley. “We kicked off on the 12th of Feb and were all done by the 5th of March. All seven varieties were picked within twenty one days, and it all looked awesome.” Josh Pfeiffer is the young winegrower for his family’s business, Whistler Wines, which … Continue reading ‘New Beginnings’ – Whistler Wines, Barossa Valley, S.A.
The Hunter Valley is not only the oldest winegrowing region in Australia; it’s also one of the hardest places in the world to grow and make wine. When James Busby made the trek up from Sydney back in 1824 and planted the first vines at Kirkton Park, there’s a strong chance he didn’t know much … Continue reading ‘Green Pioneers’ – Organic Winegrowing in the Hunter Valley
“There’s a really nice balance that a vineyard has between its rural setting and its closeness with the land, and wine as a product that you can take and showcase around the world,” says Nicholas Brown, winemaker at Black Estate. “And, it’s a product that New Zealand seems to be doing some pretty good … Continue reading ‘In Pursuit of Place’ – Black Estate, Waipara, NZ
“Our whole approach to farming is that it’s not just about being sustainable in the vineyard and using biodynamics,” says Anna Hooper, winemaker for Cape Jaffa Wines, on the Limestone Coast, South Australia, “because (biodynamics) also encourages really creative thinking. So, we follow not just the agricultural aspects of biodynamics, but also try to be creative in the … Continue reading ‘Truth & Adventure’ – Cape Jaffa Wines, South Australia
“Lots of people say they don’t compromise in their vineyard, but we do. Especially with time.” Neil Prentice is a former ‘wine waiter’, now restauranteur and winegrower, from Sandringham in Victoria. In 1991, his parents purchased a property in the Gippsland Mountain River District, two hours east of Melbourne and established a cattle farm to … Continue reading ‘Practical Compromise’ – Moondarra Wines, Victoria
“If I see something working (in the vineyard), I don’t need to go and find a (research) paper to make me believe what I see,” says Nick Paulin, viticulturist for Peregrine Wines in Central Otago, New Zealand. “When you walk through the vineyard and see a healthy looking vine and the fruit it’s producing, I … Continue reading ‘Seeing is Believing’ – Peregrine Wines, Central Otago, NZ
The Mornington Peninsula, located an hour’s drive south of Melbourne, is subject to a cool, maritime climate that is accentuated by the Southern Ocean and two bays, which skirt a long length of coastline that juts out, like a boot, from the bottom of the Victorian state. The soils are naturally fertile, thanks to the nearby dormant volcano … Continue reading ‘Unbroken Continuum’ – Quealy Wines, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
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