Swan Valley Wines

A SHORT HISTORY

Unlike new vineyard areas in Western Australia- the Swan Valley has a history of viticulture as Peter and Paula and sons Paul and Thomas discovered when they purchased their property in Baskerville in 1989.

All about the district there remained the relics of the days when returned soldiers, miners and interstaters took up allotments on the former estates of “Herne Hill’’, “Millendon” and “Baskerville” in the 1920’s.

The old trellises still carried the heritage of old wine making endeavours and a reasonably large winery operated from this and adjoining lots in the 1950’s. The family sought to revive the old viticultural traditions that allowed Oscar Borghesi to make wines locally and for the most part with the same vines!

TRADITIONAL REGIONAL STYLES

The old viticultural traditions brought to the Swan by earlier migrant families, while having some merit for their time, could only benefit from the latest technology of stainless steel storage and temperature controlled fermentation.

This was demonstrated by the quality of the first vintage in 1999, when five bronze awards were won, including an award for the best Chenin Blanc! These wines are the best of the Swan’s regional varieties, delicate Chenin white table wines, light rosy Grenaches and easy drinking Shiraz!

The Swan is renowned for its fortifieds, the quality of which is maintained by Swan Valley Wines’ Ports uniquely fashioned from original grapevines grown in the old dryland farming method.

DIFFICULT WINE MARKETS

The response to difficult market conditions for Swan Valley Wines, was to offer its wine making expertise to other growers seeking to open small boutique operations and also to seek alternative products such as fruit wines and aromatized wines. The success of these attempts at innovation continues with the popularity of our Chocolate Port dubbed “Chocolate Reserve”

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Surviving into the future is tied into generational succession with sons Paul and Thomas making some line ball calls with new wooded whites and reds, while father seeks the ultimate digestive! Assisting the day to day operations, winemaker Karen Holper takes all with good humour, appreciating the deadly game played in Australia of everyone getting on the same cart! For the latest on turning grapes or fruit into wine- give us a call.