VINEYARD DIRT
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.
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. 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. We avoid environmentally harmful sprays in our vineyard, instead using a bordeaux blend of organic ingredients where spray applications are necessary in the vineyard.
Our Vineyard Manager.
Max Keele is constantly dedicated to excellence in viticulture and the pursuit of better grape growing techniques. Max is assisted by John Runting, a consultant from Grape Advise. Max and John use strategies in the vineyard such as crop thinning to ensure grape yields are ideal for each variety. The objective is to achieve maximum flavour concentration and fruit quality, even if it means that our crop yields are lower.
Vineyard Practices.
We have recently changed to the VSP trellising system to guide light through the grapevine canopy and prevent sunburn to west facing grape bunches. 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.
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. 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..
