• A hands-on affair •
Our winemaking philosophy begins with the very foundations – healthy soils
Gundowring is situated in the picturesque Kiewa Valley in North-East Victoria. Here the ancient granites of the Great Dividing Range have been subject to the gradual work of sun, rain and wind over the millennia to carve the valley we see today. The result is a deep bedrock of decomposing granites, overlain by ancient underground gravel watercourses, with a rich alluvial clay-loam topsoil. Our vineyard practices work with this soil to promote microbial life by gentle soil aeration, returning organic matter to the soil with mulching, and protection from the harsh Australian sun by maintaining cover growth of mixed grasses in the vineyard.
Our focus in the vineyard is to produce fruit with great depth of flavour rather than yield, so vintages here are small. We only use organic products in the vineyard, with a significant nod to biodynamic practices, reflecting the view that vine health is inextricably linked to soil microbial health, and the balance of the vineyard ecosystem. The vines are pruned by hand each winter and the canopy managed by vertical shoot positioning to maximize light exposure and airflow. Victoria’s two highest peaks, Mount Bogong and Mount Feathertop, stand the head of the Kiewa Valley with the Bogong High Plains between them. Each evening the descending katabatic breezes from these higher altitudes cool the vineyard, providing respite even in the heat of our Australian Summer.
Vintage is also a hands-on affair, with a dedicated team bringing in the fruit and enjoying an afternoon of dining and cheer. In the winery, as in the vineyard, we take a gentle and gradual approach to winemaking to highlight the best characters of each grape variety. Fermentations are cool, include whole bunches and use rémontage to ensure the yeasts have sufficient oxygen to do their work. We then press gently using a traditional basket press and allow the wine to mature slowly with fine French oak until ready for the bottle. The resultant wine is distinctive not only in its characteristic depth of colour and richness of nose and palate, but also by the care taken to craft it is an embodiment of our location, our environment and our philosophy. We do hope you enjoy our work.
