The Vineyard

Winburndale is covered in the remnants of old gold mines. And there is a great affinity between gold and quality wine. It has to do with ancient alluvial soils in shallow layers on the hillsides. These soils are less fertile and the vines are thus less vigorous.

Warm days and cool nights in summer and autumn produce a long ripening period. This leads to true physiological ripening and the development of natural acidity. The very cold winter means true dormancy.

This combination of factors creates a special site, uniquely suited to the production of beautifully flavoured grapes and the production of outstanding wines.

We now recognize that, to make fine and special wines you must first have such a special site; one where the coming together of all the factors such as climate, soil, landscape, temperatures by day and night, rainfall distribution, sunlight, slopes and drainage react with each other to produce the ideal grape.

After many years searching we finally found our unique site on the slopes of Mount Fontana, one which combined all of the right factors as well as having gold and cold. Here at 800 metres above sea level, the land is rocky and tough, with slopes to give the vines protection from frosts and to give ample sunlight in summer for ripening.

There are three vineyards here, each with its own site characteristics. Rows run north/south for optimal sun exposure, and are around 200 metres long. The vineyards were chosen for aspect and temperatures variation, and varietal and clone selection were matched to these characteristics.