We spoke with Michael Lane, Vineyard Manager at Yangarra Estate Vineyard and Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard in Adelaide, South Australia’s McLaren Vale region about how his focus on southern Rhone varieties has produced positive outcomes for the grapes, other producers, and wine drinkers alike.
Beyond its reputation for using biodynamic regenerative farming practices to improve soil and vine health, Yangarra Estate Vineyard has also been recognised for its stunning new cellar door which is designed to link visitors with the picturesque surrounding vineyards and nearby winery; it is a 2024 Best of Wine Tourism Award winner in the category of Architecture and Landscape.
What sort of adaptations are you seeing producers make in the McLaren Vale region of Adelaide, South Australia in response to the changing climate?
Producers in the McLaren Vale region are planting more Mediterranean varieties hailing from the warmer regions of the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and the south of France to adapt to the changing climate. Whilst the region is most widely planted to Shiraz, there is a growing percentage of these warm-climate varieties such as Nero d’Avola, Fiano, Vermentino, Montepulciano and Tempranillo, among others. Producers are steering away from the classical cool climate varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay that require more water and are stressed in warm, dry conditions.
Our estate vineyard is in Blewitt Springs, the elevated northeast of the McLaren Vale region, which has a slightly cooler climate due to the influence of the nearby hills and higher rainfall on average (650-700mL vs 400mL average on McLaren Vale flats). With great diversity within the region’s microclimates, it’s important to plant varieties that are suitable for your specific site.
You are known for growing southern Rhone varieties suitable to your local climate and using biodynamic regenerative farming practices. Why did you choose these varieties and practices, and what kind of success have you had with them?
The existing old bush vine Grenache on the property, planted in 1946, was the inspiration for our focus on southern Rhone varieties. We had great success with our Grenache and Mourvèdre grown for a GSM estate blend and decided to pursue the southern Rhone varieties that thrive in the moderate Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale and sandy soils of Blewitt Springs in particular.
Starting our journey in 2008, Yangarra Estate has been Australian certified Organic and Biodynamic since 2012. We have a wholistic approach to farming on the estate, encouraging biodiversity and beneficial soil microbes. Through removing all synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilisers on the vineyard, we have observed and promoted a natural succession of soil and vine health. We have also seen great success using root stocks for new plantings that are selected based on their soil suitability and water holding capacity.
How have customers and other producers reacted to your efforts to introduce new varieties and focus on soil and vine health?
The reaction to our commitment to the southern Rhone has been positive from other producers. There has been a big push from other high-end producers to purchase small quantities of these southern Rhone varieties as we are one of the few commercial growers. There are some great Grenache Blanc wines being produced using fruit sold from our estate. We expect to see many more produced in the near future as other growers also begin to produce this variety that is well suited to the changing climate. We also work with other like-minded producers such as S.C. Pannell to increase the awareness of McLaren Vale Grenache and its potential as a world-class wine.
Consumers appreciate the level of attention to detail that goes into the vineyard and the winemaking to produce wine of the highest quality possible. We’re producing single estate grown wines that reflect the unique site characteristics and are a direct reflection of the vineyard’s sense of place. Consumers and customers have a more sophisticated view on sustainability and are therefore seeking out sustainable options, whether that is trying new varieties of wine or understanding what the wineries they love are doing to be more sustainable. So, it’s important to continue to be more sustainable and that we communicate what we are doing – but that this must be authentic and not green-washing.
An important part of our activities is water management. We limit our water use by using catchment water and growing varieties that are tolerant to dry conditions without irrigation. These varieties also produce great natural acidity, meaning no addition of acid is required for balance in the winery.
Have you noticed other local producers making similar adaptations to the changing climate?
We are seeing more producers planting similar varieties like Grenache Blanc, Gris and Noir. McLaren Vale is well known for its commitment as a region to sustainability and organic farming so there are many others also adopting regenerative, organic and biodynamic practices.
What is your message to other producers keen to try planting new varieties?
Growing varieties well suited to your site and warming climate conditions focuses on your vineyard’s longevity and puts the quality of wine at the forefront.
What can we expect to see at Yangarra in the future?
Recently we have increased our under vine straw mulching and composting programs to maintain moisture and cool the sites.
We have also grafted a new block of Piquepoul Blanc, a variety that is producing promising, refreshing wine from the estate and have plans to increase our plantings of Grenache Noir.
Photo credit: Yangarra Estate Vineyard