WINE REINVENTION

Julie yim heads to two of South Australia’s vibrant wine regions – Mclaren Vale and Adelaide Hills — to uncover why it is the home of forward-thinking producers

The lush rolling hills are awash with a warm golden glow, alluding to the enigma that surrounds the expansive vineyards. The first tiny buds are starting to swell and open on the bare vines, an indication of spring’s much-anticipated arrival. From the near distance, galah cockatoos native to the land chirp with delight, punctuating the silence.

Mclaren Vale is South Australia’s oldest gem in winemaking as it is also where the very first vines were originally planted. Its ideal location with close proximity to the sea and benign Mediterranean climate has propelled the wine region’s growth especially when it comes to sustainable winegrowing and the production of world-class wines. As one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world, Mclaren Vale’s geographical advantage offers a multiplicity of fertile soils all ideal in cultivating grapes.

With a stellar reputation as the second most valuable wine region for Australia’s wine exports and the fifth most visited wine region coupled with a burgeoning winemaking scene that offers enticing world-class varieties, Mclaren Vale is now positioned to elevate Australian wine.

DIVERSE MEDITERRANEAN VARIETALS

55 percent of Mclaren Vale’s produce is made up of Shiraz followed closely by Grenache and Cabernet. The region is also home to exciting alternative Mediterranean varieties such as Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo, Nero d’avola and Sangiovese. According to Kevin O’brien of Kangarilla Road, almost every Mclaren Vale Shiraz has a savoury expression because of the region’s proximity to the sea. An alternative to Shiraz is the Nero d’avola red wine variety which is typically a Sicilian variety, offering a bright, fresh, acidic driven red wine well suited for those hot summer days.

One of the oldest grapes planted in Australia, the Grenache variety which originated in Spain has taken its place as an increasingly popular wine. To quote James Halliday, Australian wine critic, “Mclaren Vale’s Grenache is its secret weapon, not merely Australia’s best, but every bit as good as that of the Rhône Valley.” Thanks to the region’s warm summers, low humidity and cooling sea breeze which provides the ideal conducive environment to grow the Grenache variety, Mclaren Vale’s Grenache has been hailed as emblematic as it showcases the diversity of the region’s mixed terroir. Overshadowed in the past by Shiraz and often relegated to blends, the reinterpretation of Grenache over the past decade has cemented its position to shine on its own. “Grenache is a chameleon for winemakers because of its versatility and enormous variation in styles of wine,” says O’brien. The variety naturally offers good acidity and often pairs well with food or on its own during cocktails. “The longevity of aftertaste on the palate proves the quality of the wine,” adds Patrick Gilhooly of Thistledown. Gaining the attention of many top wine producers in the region, the Grenache variety only accounts for about five percent of Mclaren Vale’s annual crush as opposed to the region’s dominant Shiraz varietal.

TRY Hither & Yon Grenache Touriga, Alpha Box & Dice Siren, Chapel Hill 2018 Nero d’avola

BIODYNAMIC AND ORGANIC WINEMAKING

The Osborn family has been growing grapes and making wine in the Mclaren Vale region since 1912. Today, fourth generation family member Chester Osborn is at the helm of perpetuating the family’s legacy, falling back on traditional winemaking methods to produce distinctive perfumed, character wines under the label d’arenberg. Chester’s approach to winemaking is very much like his personality – loud and youthful. Armed with the aim to create aromatic, fruit-flavoured wines with minimal oak, Chester says, “I look for tannins that are long, lively, gritty and youthful with fragrant fruit minerality.” As the largest biodynamic grower in Australia, d’arenberg’s vines have flourished due to the natural terroir offering a variety of sandstone, limestone and sand on clay. d’arenberg’s wines go through traditional techniques such as open fermentation, foot treading and basket pressing, making them the only winery in Australia to implement the basket press process on both white and red wines.

The practice of farming according to the cycle of the sun and moon was incepted as early as 1924 when Austrian philosopher-scientist Rudolf Steiner published a series of alternative teachings on biodynamics. The rise of biodynamic wine certifications worldwide has not escaped Mclaren Vale who currently boasts the highest number of certified organic and biodynamic vineyards in Australia. In the region, Gemtree remains one of the early adopters of biodynamic winemaking and has been certified organic since 2011. Owner Melissa Buttery who is also a qualified viticulturalist and expert in biodynamic and organic farming first delved into biodynamics in 2007 by introducing techniques that interweave the fauna and flora.

“What is key to biodynamics is being in tune with nature and your farm,” explains Josh Waechter, a winemaker at Gemtree. Ultimately the aim of the principle is to build healthy self-sufficient ecosystems. The alpacas on the farm aren’t just kept as pets but bred to keep predators such as foxes away from the sheeps responsible for eating weeds. The vineyards have access to recycled water while solar panels fuel the electricity for the tasting room. Cow horns filled with fresh manure are buried to be dug up as rich fertiliser. Natural ground quartz are sprayed all over the vines to strengthen the cell walls which makes them fungus resistant. The farming and harvesting process is all done in accordance to the lunar calendar to enhance the quality of the grapes. Though Josh admits that it does cost more to run vineyards with biodynamic practices as it is more labour intensive, the price point does not vary significantly as compared to other non-biodynamic wines. TRY Gemtree Luna De Fresa Rosé, d’arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz

THE RISE OF YOUNG WINEMAKERS

Over the past decade, South Australia’s booming winemaking scene has taken the lead for producing an insurgence of young winemakers who are pursuing the craft of winemaking on their own terms. To put things into perspective, more than two-thirds of the annual Young Gun of Wine winners hail from South Australia. The competition which is now closing in on its 14th annual edition was originally incepted to shine a light on emerging wine labels and new winemakers.

According to 2018 Young Gun of Wine winner Rob Mack on Aphelion Wines, “Old school winemaking will always have a place but there is a rise of fresher, brighter wines.” Rob is now part of a new breed of winemakers who are defying conventions and eager to experiment with new varieties and techniques while keeping an open mind. “The advantage for small producers to do things that are more time consuming and experiment with unique techniques gives an edge and story to their wine labels,” Rob elaborates.

Michael Downer of Murdoch Hill pinpoints this insurgence of new winemakers back to the 1980s. Hailing from the Adelaide Hills wine region, Michael agrees that Australian winemakers are not trying to

compete with European wines but instead focusing on putting their own stamp. “We are trying to showcase a sense of place and season instead of producing Coca-cola wines.”

For 2019 Young Gun of Wine winner Damon Koerner of Koerner Wines, “It’s important to have an understanding of not just wine but food and culture to make new style wines instead of old style wines.”

As an emerging wine region, Adelaide Hills boasts a cooler climate which in return produces more delicate, approachable wines that are easy to pair with food. The wines from the region are often hailed as wines for open minds and wines for today, indicating not just a shift in the winemakers’ approach but also the consumers’ mindset.

“There is a shift in the market that consumers prefer more fruity wines that are approachable with lower alcohol content,” says Alex Sherrah who believes that traditional winemakers recognise this rising trend and are now trying to find ways to introduce these wines into their existing portfolio.

With more than 50 cellar doors in Adelaide Hills, a variety of global cuisines are often paired to showcase the acid structure and refreshing notes of the small batch wines. TRY Murdoch Hill 2019 Chardonnay, Koerner 2018 The Clare Red Wine, Berg Herring 2018 Mclaren Vale Fiano

MINIMAL INTERVENTION

Long before natural wines became a global phenomenon, Taras Ochota’s grandparents were already practising this lo-fi approach by making minimal intervention wine in South Australia’s Clare Valley. The winemaker under his own label Ochota Barrels has turned into Australia’s very own beacon for minimal intervention wine, citing it as “wine that you don’t have to think abouth too much.”

Taras belongs to a group of wine producers from a tiny enclave of the Adelaide Hills called Basket Range. He shares a similar philosophy together with this community of winemakers from the Basket Range hills when it comes to winemaking – with wild yeasts, as little added or taken away as possible, plenty of skin contact, no filtration and just the barest addition of sulphur at bottling.

By sourcing fruit from surrounding vineyards in the Hills, Taras’ main point of difference lies in his picking decision as he picks his grapes earlier than most winemakers. This back to basics approach results in wines with lower alcohol content and natural acidity. “These are wines that have energy,” Taras says.