V21 in South Australia‍

We landed in South Australia at the end of January [just as we came out of the orange zone in Rochester and our tasting room was once again permitted to be open for service] to allow for two weeks of hotel quarantine. During that time, we worked away on blends and planned for bottling and vintage ‘21. COVID is widely under control here in South Australia, with short lockdowns when cases do occur, so we’re able to go about a normal day-to-day [no masks!] within our community here. Gives us hope for a return to normalcy in the States!

Out in the fields, the grapes look great and the weather’s been beautiful throughout the growing season, apart from a short heat wave in January which was followed by rain, thankfully. Our first pick was on February 11 – for an exciting new, low alcohol wine [under 10%]! We’re working with a mix of traditional and emerging varieties again this year, and you can always count on us for both old favorites and new styles. This month, we’re bottling a few of our lighter, brighter reds, while the bigger, richer reds will stay in oak for another couple months. And in terms of bottling, we’ve also been working on two fun new label designs – big reveal coming soon!

It’s a tricky time in general for Australian wineries, with recovery continuing from fires in December 2019, potential smoke taint from fires in January 2021, COVID, and massive tariffs recently imposed by China [Australia’s biggest export market]. While these things haven’t affected us directly, we feel for our fellow industry folks here. All the more reason to drink Aussie wine! And the selection of high-quality Aussie wines available in the US is growing all the time.

The Wines

• 2017 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc – Museum Release
• 2019 Finger Lakes Pinot Gris
• 2019 McLaren Vale Grenache – Pre-Release
• 2018 Adelaide Depths of the Earth Red Blend