Our Philosophy.
Our philosophy is always, great wines are made in the vineyard and careful nurturing of our vines will lead to the creation of wines of integrity and quality.
Connected With The Land.
As Richard grew up on the property, he knows the land and its geology well. Wine grape varieties were selected not only because we love them, but for their special relationship with this unique viticultural environment. The vineyard site was selected for its gentle slope which captures the perfect amount of natural light to ripen the grapes yet shield them from the harsh summer sun and hot northerly winds. West and south facing slopes drain cold air from the vineyard which assists us in avoiding frost damage.
Our Terrior.
Our terrior is the unique set of conditions in our vineyard which in turn confer distinctive characteristics to the wines produced here. These vineyard conditions include climate, topography, geology, soil and aspect, among others. Our philosophy is to preserve the Dookie terrior with our unobtrusive viticultural and winemaking practices, which allow the wine in the bottle to express the fruit from which it is made.
Vineyard Practices.
Our trellis system is designed to reduce the need for vine sprays by improving airflow and light penetration into the canopy. Canopy management including shoot training, thinning and placement assists light and ventilation into the canopy and this keeps our vineyard free of disease and assists in even ripening of grape berries. This season we also be trialing different methods of pruning in the vineyard, which can lead to higher bunch numbers and consequently smaller berries. The bottom line is a higher skin to juice ratio which ultimately means more flavoursome wine for you.
Our Unique Soil.
The incredible ancient red volcanic Cambrian soil, similar to that of the soils of Heathcote, and the terra rossa of the Coonawarra, gives our wine unique regionality and adds to our distinctive terrior. Our soils were formed as a consequence of the weathering of Cambrian rocks over millions of years. The soils are deep and have excellent water holding properties which is important for sustaining our vine water supplies. Our soils have a good balance of essential nutrients however the soils are not excessively fertile. This benefits our fruit quality as the grapevine canopy is not overly vigorous. We continually strive to protect and nourish our soil with mulching, cover cropping and organic applications.
Environmentally Aware.
Our viticultural practices demonstrate our respect for the environment through adaptive and integrated management systems. Our first step towards organic viticulture is replacing herbicide use with under-vine mulching using straw. Not only does this reduce weed growth but the improvement to soil nutrition, soil moisture conservation and keeping grapevine roots cool during hot summers is also beneficial. We avoid environmentally harmful sprays in our vineyard, instead using a bordeaux blend of organic ingredients where spray applications are necessary in the vineyard. Biodiversity of insects, particularly beneficial insects, is encouraged within the vineyard as this helps to keep our vineyard microclimate healthy and free of vine damaging pests. Tallis Wine is committed to a low input sustainable system.
Our Viticulturalist.
Scott Feldtmann, our consultant viticulturalist has an Associate Diploma in Winegrowing from Charles Sturt University and worked as a Viticulturalist in the Yarra Valley for several years before the pull of the Dookie dirt saw him return to the region. Scott is assisted by John Runting, a consultant from Grape Advice [www.grapeadvice.com.au] and Wendy Ludeman. Scott’s passion for minimal input viticulture marries well with the Tallis commitment to move towards organic viticulture.
Water Conservation Is Important To Us.
Water conservation is important to us as we live in an area of low annual rainfall. We undertake many water conservation practices in both the vineyard and the winery to preserve this precious resource. Drip irrigation sustains our vineyard when required and uses the least amount of water possible which is better for our soil and sustainability. Mid-row cover cropping and under vine mulching holds the water in the soil and prevents evaporation. As our annual rainfall is low and water resources are scarce, our vines move towards a dry grown vineyard.