ABOUT SINCLAIR'S GULLY VINEYARD
Sinclair's Gully
vineyard is nestled high in Norton
Summit in one of the most picturesque parts of the Adelaide Hills. At
an
elevation of 485 metres, this site was selected with its gentle
northerly slope
to maximise the sunlight on the vines.
Chardonnay
(clone I10V1) and Sauvignon Blanc (clone F4V6) varieties were chosen
based on their suitability to the cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills
and the
elevation of our vineyard. Approximately one thousand of each variety
were
planted with a row spacing of 1.25 by 2.2 metres. The vine rows run
north-south
to allow equal sunlight on both sides of the vines, ensuring even
ripening of
the grapes.
Our philosophy in the vineyard is to use
sustainable viticulture practices to ensure the vineyard remains in
balance
with nature. This, in conjunction with the use of minimal sprays, is
consistent
with our approach towards organic practice.
Our vines are tended by hand using traditional methods.
Each vine is individually cane pruned over winter and the grapes are
harvested
by hand at optimum maturity in late summer to early autumn.
We use modern canopy management techniques - a modified smart dyson
system.
This increases the total canopy area by splitting and opening up the
canopy,
maximising the amount of sunlight penetrating the vine. This has many
benefits
such as reducing fungal disease due to increased airflow (requiring
less
spraying), assisting with ripening of fruit and increasing fruit
quality.
We are committed to producing Adelaide Hills wine of the highest
quality and believe
that the
secret to making a great wine starts in the vineyard, by producing
grapes of the
highest
quality using well managed ecologically sustainable practices.
