Great Wines Come From Healthy Vines
McLaren Vale is our home and where the majority of fruit is sourced for crafting Wirra Wirra’s famous red wines, but we also source premium white grapes from a select group of vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, a cooler climate grape growing region, to make an award winning sauvignon blanc, riesling and chardonnay.
Of Wirra Wirra’s owned vineyards, Scrubby Rise (ironically flat and bereft of scrub), Nocowie (named by Trott’s father who disliked cows), Chook Block (next to Trotty’s old Chicken Sheds), ‘73 Block (one guess only), Woodhenge and House Block contribute some of our best fruit year after year.
These blocks on our estate are managed biodynamically – a sustainable practice that we have followed now for nearly a decade. Our efforts were recognised in 2013 when we received biodynamic certification from the NASAA group – the Australian and International Organic Certifier.
On our certified organic and biodynamic vineyards around the winery, no systemic chemicals or pesticides are used in their cultivation – only permitted organic and biodynamic inputs and preparations.
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale’s favourable climate and geographical factors make it ideal for grape growing and producing regionally distinctive wines year after year. We enjoy a typical Mediterranean climate with the moderating influence of the sea tempering the summer heat and the cold of winter. The climate is characterised by warm summers, moderate winters, winter-dominant rainfall (580-700mm per annum), low relative humidity and relatively high evaporation. Rain during the harvest period and frost are rare. For the viticulturist this means less likelihood of crop damage and low disease pressure.
McLaren Vale has numerous micro-climates within the region, determined by variation in altitude and soil type associated with the complex geological formations. This variation provides scope for the winemakers of the region to produce wines of varied and distinctive character.
Rainfall is sufficient in some areas to allow dry growing, resulting in further character and distinction in these wines.
Where irrigation is used, drip irrigation is favoured (no other sort of watering is used). There are sufficient sources of good quality underground water and irrigation dams to maintain vine growth, with McLaren Vale considered one of the most efficient regions for water usage in Australia.
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills has a strong domestic and international reputation as home to some of Australia’s most elegant cool climate wines, displaying great finesse and varietal intensity.
The region is located in the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. Stretching in a narrow band approximately 70km long, the highest vineyards are sited between 600-650 metres altitude in areas such as Crafers, Summertown, Piccadilly and Carey Gully.
The summer months are generally warm and dry with average daytime temperatures and cool nights, considerably cooler than other Australian wine regions. Average rainfall is also higher, with rain occurring mainly during the winter months and varying significantly across the region.
It may surprise some to learn that ‘The Hills’ is one of the largest geographical wine regions in Australia and amongst the most diverse in terms of climate, soil and topography. The region consists of two registered sub-regions, Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley. In fact Lenswood vineyards have been the prime source for The 12th Man Chardonnay and Hiding Champion Sauvignon Blanc.
Viticulturist - Anton Groffen