The Man from Mosel River

The Daily Wine News, an e-newsletter from the Australian Wine Industry Portal of Winetitles, carried the other day a summary of the McLaren Vale Annual Wine Industry Awards. One of the award winners (in the category ‘Grape grower of the Year Award’) was a vintner names Joch Bosworth of Edgehill Vineyards.

I went straight on to google the man and found a very interesting website (www.edgehill-vineyards.com.au). Joch’s wine label – the Battle of Bosworth -is named after a famous battle in England in 1485. The Bosworth family has grown grapes in the McLaren Vale region since the 1840’s. The Edgehill vineyard is located in Willunga, and was established by Peter and Anthea Bosworth, the parents of Joch, in the early 1970’s.

Needless to say that Edgehill Vineyard was converted to organic viticultural practices (in 1995) and today is a certified A-grade organic farm (certified by ACO www.australianorganic.com.au). It has some 50 acres under vines, planted to Shiraz (some more than 20 years old), Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Mourvèdre.

What I find remarkable too is the fact that the rows between the vines are left to a “vicious” weed, the Soursob, the picture of it featuring on the wine label. The Soursob produces a very pretty yellow flower. The life cycle of the Soursob complements the cycle of the grape vines in so far as it dies off in spring and flowers and uses water in winter when the vines are dormant. Would love to know wht his neighbours say to that system.

I present you a video which is posted on Joch’s website. I do this for two reasons:

1. It is interesting to watch and informative
2. It shows the relaxed atmosphere and vine growers culture of my adopted home Australia which I treasure so much.

Enjoy watching it.

I have visited the McLaren Vale wine region only once and enjoyed the triop tremendously, but next time I will look out for Edgehill Vineyards in Willunga.

Address:
Battle of Bosworth Wines
PO Box 11 McLaren Vale
South Australia 5171
(Ganney Road, Willunga, SA)
Tel.: +61-885562441
http://www.edgehill-vineyards.com.au

This entry was posted on Friday, October 3rd, 2008 at 11:54 am and is filed under vineyards, wine regions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.