Woodhaven Vineyard was our tree change. We love the wines of Burgundy and wanted to produce the grapes of that beautiful region. It took two years to find the right site to create our own paradise amongst the trees on Red Hill.

Our vineyard is north facing and slopes to the east on the red volcanic soil at 230m above sea-level. The cool climate is moderated by maritime influences.

We planted our first vines in 2003 and produced our first vintage in 2010.

Neil & Lee on Autumn picking day

Cover crops in the vineyard cool the ground, fix nitrogen from the air and trap moisture from morning dew. A diverse mix of plants around the vines protect the soil and support beneficial insects. Soil health is increased by applying compost made on site and beneficial microbes.

We mow the mid-row and brush-cut the undervine strip. Only organic fungicides are used, and we spray milk instead of sulphur to control mildew and protect beneficial insects.

As a member of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia since 2005, we regularly apply their biodynamic preparations to the vineyard.

Our hands-on canopy management is essential to achieve balance in the vines, keep yield low and enhance flavour in our wine. We remove every second bud in early spring, shoot thin and leaf pluck in late spring and remove green bunches at veraison. The cool climate ensures slow ripening resulting in full flavour development. With the help of friends, we hand pick the fruit at peak ripeness, usually late March to mid-April.

After harvest, we spray out the biodynamic preps to promote healthy buds for the next season. Through the winter, we spend all available time pruning the vines just in time for bud-burst in early spring. Then the cycle starts again.