Our Hahndorf vineyard - its special terroir

Hahndorf Hill's six-hectare vineyard is located at the edge of historic Hahndorf village and on the slopes of a gentle hill which, over a century ago, contained a slate quarry. It is very apparent when walking along the slopes of the vineyard blocks at Hahndorf Hill that slate forms a significant part of the mineral component of the soils.

Our vineyard topsoils consist of a sandy-loam and red-clay blend, richly embellished with blue-red slate, quartz and ironstone intrusions. The subsoils comprise deep red clay.

Austrian varieties

This abundance of diverse mineral components in the soil translates into a distinct mineral element in all our wines, which is especially beneficial for our Austrian varieties - Gruner Veltliner, Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt (with St. Laurent waiting in the wings).

In addition, the Adelaide Hills enjoys the unique combination of a low mean January temperature coupled with a significantly high diurnal variation. This diurnal variation is a significant quality defining factor according to producers of these varieties in their native Austria.

The Adelaide Hills' slow ripening, cool-climate environment allows for all our grapes to benefit from an extended ripening season with beautifully warm days and cold nights.

Sustainable farming

We aim to farm our vineyard according to environmentally sustainable methods, as we believe this is the best way to produce wines of finesse and vitality, whilst being mindful of the pristine environmental heritage of the Adelaide Hills.