Gentle Folk
Since starting the winery in 2015, he’s been steadily growing the number of vineyards he cares for (from a tiny, whimsical field-blend starter plot up to the current 11 hectares), and adding more and more talent to his congenial vineyard team, including a consulting top viticulturist Dylan Grigg. There’s also intense communication with local growers, be it for grape purchases and inspiration (like his friend Erin Klein of Ngeringa, an admirable biodynamic farm nearby, where Gareth gets grapes for his succulent Syrah), or trying to shift others towards more natural treatments and less irrigation in order to get higher quality organic fruit with a smaller carbon footprint. This is a truly honest, farming-first, time- and labor-intensive approach (oh my, all that netting… great workout, though), which is based on Gareth’s clear and very legitimate conviction that wines are made in the vineyard, not in the cellar. -Jenny & Francois
