Granton’s latitude of 43 degrees South enables the vineyard to enjoy full sun exposure in daylight hours. Our vines are laid out on gently undulating hillside slopes within close proximity of the Derwent River.

These slopes rise gradually to a point approximately 100 metres above sea level, and offer excellent cold air drainage and frost protection during the critical growing and ripening seasons of spring and autumn.

The river itself provides a wonderful moderating influence on the vineyard's mesoclimate. Having a large body of water adjacent to our vines helps regulate large changes in air temperature, keeping things cool in the summer and warming the soil during springtime.
Our site provides the vineyard with a variety of soil types that are low in basic nutrients and water-retentive qualities. A thin layer of fine silty / gravelly loam predominates on the site's upper slopes, affording a microenvironment readily suited to red grape varieties.

On the vineyard's lower slopes, a layer of well-drained coarse gravel features prominently. These slopes are ideally suited to growing white wine varieties. Their capacity for heat accumulation encourages early vine activity and the onset of budburst during the first weeks of spring.

A mild, largely maritime climate - characterised by many clear summer and autumn days - helps to lay a solid foundation for small yields of high quality wine grapes from our vineyard.

Typically, these small berries are rich in varietal fruit aromas and flavours, and well balanced in natural grape sugars and acids. A diversity of clonal material planted across the vineyard encourages complexity in primary fruit characteristics.

All viticultural methods used on the site are labour and capital intensive. Our pruning, shoot positioning, leaf-plucking, bird netting, and fruit picking are all carried out by human hands.

Steve Lubiana and his team manage the vineyard and its nearby orchard and vegetable garden according to the biodynamic practices first outlined by Rudolf Steiner in 1924.

Biodynamic composting and the application of selected biodynamic preparations provide the site with sustainable levels of biodiversity and natural defence mechanisms that enhance each vine's capacity to maintain good health and combat disease.

Harvesting takes place on the site when fruit has achieved optimum flavour ripeness for winemaking. That can occur anytime between early March and mid May, according to grape variety, wine style, and seasonal factors.

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Who we are PowerPoint presentation

 

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