Vineyard Reconstruction, One Vine at a Time

We own a hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon vines at the front of our winery in Coonawarra, planted on the region’s famed Terra Rossa soil. We are currently in the process of reconstructing the vineyard.

Vineyard reconstruction involves renewing a vineyard by removing old or damaged vines, preparing the soil, and installing or upgrading trellising systems. A key part of the process is training the new vine growth onto the wires to ensure proper support, canopy management, and optimal fruit development. This careful work restores vine health and productivity, setting the vineyard up for improved vine vigor as well as enhanced grape quality.

Terra Rossa, meaning “red earth,” is what gives Coonawarra wines their hallmark intensity and full flavour.

This distinctive soil forms a narrow, cigar-shaped strip more than 20 kilometres long but, in places, just a kilometre wide. Unlike other Australian vineyard regions, Coonawarra’s soils are prized not only for their rich red hue but also for their consistency along this thin band. The Terra Rossa topsoil is fertile and free-draining, though shallow — ranging from just 5 to 100 centimetres deep.

These unique conditions are ideal for viticulture, producing small, deeply coloured berries that ripen beautifully in the sunlight. The result is lower-yielding, intensely flavoured grapes perfectly suited to crafting premium Cabernet Sauvignon.