About Us » South Australia
South Australia
Location
Norfolk Rise Vineyard is located in the emerging wine region of Mount Benson at the southern tip of South Australia. One of Australia’s smallest and most recently recognised wine regions, Mount Benson’s 500 hectares of vineyards are characterised by a soil profile of terra rossa soils lying over fossilised limestone and a close proximity to the Southern Ocean. This combination of perfect geology with a plentiful supply of pure underground water, and maritime breezes create wines of great elegance and structure.
The fruit from the vineyard is all processed on-site at Norfolk Rise’s state of the art winemaking facility. The proximity of the vineyard to the winery ensures that fruit is not only picked at the perfect time but the damage to fruit in transportation is limited. Using the best machinery from around the world the Norfolk Rise winery is able to produce wines that are a true reflection of the fruit from the Norfolk Rise Vineyard. The winemaking philosophy at Norfolk Rise Vineyard is to simply embrace, then express, the unique characteristics of the vineyard.
Vineyard Management
In addition to the help given to the vines by Mother Nature, the dedicated team at Norfolk Rise Vineyard employ a carefully planned “Block to Label” management approach to the vineyard. The vineyard has been planted in a manner that ensures each block of the vineyard is planted with the grape variety that best suits the conditions in that specific area of the vineyard.
Through this approach each block of the vineyard is marked and can be prepared appropriately for its final destination under the Norfolk Rise label best suited to the individual conditions of the block. The Norfolk Rise viticulturists are then able to manage the vines throughout the year to encourage the highest quality fruit and yield come vintage.
Climate
The region is heavily influenced by a unique micro climate and the location of the vineyard allows Norfolk Rise to capture these unique regional characteristics and produce high quality cool climate wines. The location of the Norfolk Rise Vineyard has enabled the unique climatic conditions of the Mount Benson region to play a major role in the production of high quality fruit for the Norfolk Rise label.
The vineyard is located within 5 kilometres of the ocean and benefits from both the temperature moderation and natural sea breezes it provides. The ensuing sea breezes play a vital role in the reduction of frosts and disease pressure, resulting in higher quality fruit on the vine.
Soil
The Norfolk Rise Vineyard is planted on near perfect “terra rossa” soils that provide an ideal balance of nutrients and water retention. The “terra rossa” soils of the Mount Benson region lie over fossilised limestone; this creates a soil for the vines that provides fruit with a unique and elegant flavour. Further down, the Mount Benson region sits atop a plentiful supply of pure underground water.
