Exciting times are these for Australian wine. Times when quality small producers are popping up everywhere across the viticultural landscape. Times when many of these producers that are striving to make delicious, lighter bodied, fresher, purer, more digestible wines that have a strong sense of place. And now, most significantly, it is a time when some of these producers are realising that it is in the vineyard, more specifically the way their vineyards are planted and the way they are managed, that will ultimately determine the quality and uniqueness of the wines they are able to produce. Bondar are certainly at the heart of this zeitgeist.
John Vickery has been instrumental in shaping the history of Riesling in Australia. Working his first vintage back in 1951, John Vickery built his illustrious career around strict attention to detail and old-fashioned hard work. His fastidious nature and particular ways are legendary and an integral part of greatness.
Vickery
Watervale is a subregion of the well-known Clare Valley winegrowing region of South Australia and, much like its parent zone, is renowned for its dry white wines made from the Riesling grape variety.
Exciting times are these for Australian wine. Times when quality small producers are popping up everywhere across the viticultural landscape. Times when many of these producers that are striving to make delicious, lighter bodied, fresher, purer, more digestible wines that have a strong sense of place. And now, most significantly, it is a time when some of these producers are realising that it is in the vineyard, more specifically the way their vineyards are planted and the way they are managed, that will ultimately determine the quality and uniqueness of the wines they are able to produce. Bondar are certainly at the heart of this zeitgeist.
Clare Valley, generally lies at higher altitudes than the Barossa Valley which causes more extreme climate variations. But the Clare Valley region is divided into various mesoclimates, of which Watervale is one of them.
While the northern part of the Clare Valley is more open and influenced by warmer westerly winds from the Spencer Gulf, Watervale gets cooler breezes from Gulf St Vincent, conditions perfect for growing premium, world-famous Riesling.
The Eden Valley region is located north-east of the city of Adelaide and just east of the Barossa Valley, with which it comprises the overall 'Barossa Zone'.
Overall growing season temperatures are significantly lower than those of the neighbouring Barossa Valley, and the final stages of ripening and harvesting take place in much cooler conditions.
The Eden Valley sits at a significantly higher altitude (217-630m above sea level) than the Barossa Valley, and this provides for growing season temperatures that are lower than those of the neighbouring region, with the final stages of ripening and harvesting taking place in significantly cooler conditions.
