The Wine Farm is where we grow the wine we want to drink and
the food we want to eat. It's where our kids get muddy, our dog
can howl without upsetting the neighbours and we can breathe.
Planting thoughts
When we bought The Wine Farm five years ago we inherited eight varieties of grapes in two types of soil and varying states of health. As much as we wanted to stamp our mark on the property from the get-go, we resisted the urge to come out swinging our chainsaws and shovels. Instead we scratched that itch on the roses and put our energy into rejuvenating the soils and giving the vines – all the vines; even those varieties we weren’t naturally drawn to – lots of love, allowing them to show their true potential in this cool climate, and with our particular way of farming, over several vintages.
Now the time has come to make some tough decisions. Which varieties will we home in on as we take The Wine Farm into the future, and which, thanks to our friendly local bobcat, have seen their last vintage…
MoreSubscribe
If your typical cab sav is dark and broody, our Farm Wine Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is bright and light on its feet with gentle tannins, a lovely texture and no sharp edges. Think raspberries not blackcurrants; herbs not tobacco.
Think uber not black cab.
More
Vintage 2019 was tracking along nicely. Probably the best yet for our short tenure on The Wine Farm. But just as we were sharpening our snips in preparation for picking, three days of 35–40°C stopped us in our tracks and got us all hot under the collar.
More
‘Cool climate’ is a term that gets used a lot in the wine world but not always appropriately. It’s the weather during ripening that really counts, and the closer to picking the more of an impact it has on the ultimate style of your wine.
More
This morning the last of the nets went over the vines marking the end of the back-breaking vineyard work till harvest starts in about three weeks; the cellar door is now closed until Easter; and the kids’ activities have started up again for the year (including our oldest starting school!). It truly does feel like new beginnings.
More
Until now we’ve tackled weeds in the vineyard by slashing under the vines. But when your back hurts just looking at the vineyard at the beginning of the growing season, and then your tractor starts making the same groaning noises as you, it’s time to re-assess the situation.
More
Buying an existing vineyard without really knowing its potential is something you could lose a lot of sleep over.
More
Great wine is the sum of hundreds of decisions from vineyard to bottle. As the ‘maker’ all I do is try to make the best decision I can at any particular point in time.
MoreWe are gradually releasing our 2017 vintage (and a few we've been saving from previous vintages) to our mailing list. Subscribe to Letters from The Wine Farm to be the first to hear about new releases at subscriber prices and build your own case of 6 or 12.
If you can't wait perhaps our sample pack may quench your thirst...
More
In 2014, having fallen for the region in general and the potential of its grapes in particular, we took the biggest plunge so far. We poured our joint worldly effects into a small patch of dirt down the road. An unassuming address we thought might just have everything we needed to start creating our own little world. Good soil, eight thousand vines, a great big shed and lots of bedrooms to fill.
More
The worker’s cottage on the property is available for short stays. Bring some friends, check out the region and its spoils and soak up The Wine Farm.
More