Footsteps in the Vineyard

When Craggy Range chooses its vineyards nothing is left to chance. Minute variations in temperature are recorded and overlaid on a map where soil specialists record the subtle variations in soil. The row ends curve to match the soil type variation beneath. Special vines, often sourced from French vineyards, are planted in their own unique terroir and cared for by skilled workers. And the rocks, that others bury to make life easier, are carefully placed underneath the vines to provide reflection and heat for the developing grapes. The vines are managed in balance with their environment in a system of sustainable ecological viticulture that maximises natural input and controls anything synthetic. Every stage of the vine’s growth is measured and compared to ensure the vine is kept in balance and harmony with its age and environment.

Technology is an integral part of these highly tuned and precise farming systems – however, it isn’t in charge. The people who look after the vines are the real heroes of these vineyards. Pruning, removal of excess shoots and foliage, thinning, and arranging developing shoots into supporting wires are all done by hand, as no machine can make these intuitive decisions better than a skilled vineyard worker.

These people leave their mark and it is this simple philosophy of ‘footsteps in the vineyard’ that drives the modern winemaker. A New World vigneron with an Old World philosophy.