"Guichen Bay Vineyards" and "Wrights Bay Vineyards" are community title vineyards with a combined planted area of 86 hectares which were developed and planted over four years from 1998 to 2001 in Wrights Bay Road, Mount Benson, South Australia. They are located near the shores of Guichen Bay and Wrights Bay between the fishing ports of Robe and Kingston (SE) on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, 320 kilometres south of Adelaide.

The logo on our wine label depicts a wind driven vine - storm force westerly winds from the Southern Ocean are a feature of our coastal site - fortunately only in winter when the vines are asleep. The rest of the year they are only gale force!.

Information about the Vineyards, their wines, their ownership, management and viticulture practices, the concept underlying a community title vineyard and information about the Mount Benson Wine Region and growing winegrapes in a cool climate region can be found on this site.

Viewing across "Wrights Bay Vineyards" (foreground) and "Guichen Bay Vineyards" (background) to the Southern Ocean.

j

hgl

highlights

• location - Mount Benson, Limestone Coast, South Australia - a young and exciting premium cool climate viticulture Region in the "Southern Ports" coastal tourism region of South Australia;
• water - ample supplies of high quality (around 350ppm) underground water with unrestricted access;
• soils - terra rossa type soils comprising red and brown sands and loams over free draining limestone;
• climate - a mild, maritime climate featuring strong westerly winds in winter and spring typically followed by long cool summers which provide a long ripening period. The Vineyards are on the seaward (windward) side of the Woakwine Range and frost in springtime is rarely an issue. Annual rainfall is 630ml two thirds falling between May and September. Mean January temperature is 18.5 degrees centigrade;
• harvest - March for the whites and April for the reds;
• management - the Vineyards are managed as a single entity with a full time on site Manager and dedicated machinery and personnel;
• infrastructure - each of the Vineyards is self sufficient in infrastructure including irrigation from unrestricted access to the underlying aquifer, administrative and storage shedding and power supply;
• wine production - most of the fruit produced on the Vineyards is contracted to wineries however small parcels of fruit are selected for processing by contract winemakers and sale under the Owners own label "Guichen Bay Vineyards";
• varieties - each of the Vineyards is planted with a balanced mix of the premium varieties, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot, chardonnay and   sauvignon blanc;
• wine sales - our wines are sold through this website, by mail order and through restaurants, hotels and retailers mainly in towns on the "Southern Ports" coastline.

structure & overview

The two Vineyards are presently operated as a single Vineyard however they are each self supporting with their own infrastructure and each is administered by a Community Corporation comprising all the Owners of the individual Lots in the Vineyard.

The two Vineyards have a combined freehold area of 109 hectares of which 86 hectares is planted to grapevines. There are twenty nine individual freehold Lots which range in size from 1.64 hectares to 4.6 hectares and are owned by twenty three families and individuals. Production ranges from 800 to 1,000 tonnes of premium fruit in a normal year. Together the vineyards have a critical mass which supports dedicated machinery and personnel and enables them to negotiate with suppliers and wineries from a position of substance.

The Vineyards each have their own bores equipped with diesel pumps and mains irrigation systems to deliver water from the underground aquifer which is only fifteen to twenty metres below the surface. Each has a fully equipped multi purpose shed for administration, equipment, tools and vehicle storage, workshop, kitchen and dining facilities and shower and toilet facilities for personnel. Each has its own power supply and a chemical storage, mixing, loading and wash down facility.

The individual Owners have freehold title to their Lot and personally own the vines planted on it together with the trellising and drip irrigation lines which are fed by the commonly owned mains irrigation system.

Each of the Vineyards is administered by its own Community Corporation (see "Concept" below). At present each of the Vineyards pools its own fruit and contracts to sell it to third party wineries however there are advantages to the Owners inherent in the critical mass which the two Vineyards together represent as a combined entity. The pooled revenue is divided amongst the Owners on the basis of the size of their Lot so that variations in the yield and price of each variety in the Vineyards are shared equally.

The Vineyards are managed and operated as a single entity by a third party under contract. Their size justifies the permanent stationing of some dedicated machinery and two full time personnel including the Vineyard Manager. Contracts of various terms are in place for the supply of management and resources to the Vineyards and for the sale of their fruit.

The combined planting is comprised of :

Cabernet Sauvignon – 18.4 hectares (21%);

Shiraz – 19.0 hectares (22%);

Merlot – 15.2 hectares (18%);

Chardonnay – 18.9 hectares (22%);

Sauvignon Blanc – 14.9 hectares (17%).

Annual production in normal vintages is in the order of 800 to 1,000 tonnes of premium fruit.

In 2008 Vintage the Vineyards' production represented 24% of the fruit produced in Mount Benson Wine Region.

concept

The concept of a community title vineyard is based on individual ownership of a number of freehold allotments which make up a community plan. There is usually an additional allotment which contains the commonly owned property such as the bore pumps, sheds and roads. The community plan is administered by a Community Corporation which is an incorporated body comprising all of the Owners of the allotments. The Community Corporation has much the same function as the Body Corporate of a block of strata title home units.

The Community Corporation administers the by laws which typically require the Owners to develop and operate a vineyard on a specified area of their allotment and prohibits the erection of dwellings or other improvements and prohibits the introduction of animals and plants other than vines to the property.

The Community Corporation elects a President, Treasurer and Secretary and several other Members to comprise a Management Committee. This Committee is typically responsible for arranging insurance of the Owners assets, ensuring the assets are properly maintained, for overseeing the Management of the Vineyard and negotiating contractual arrangements for the ongoing management and operation of the Vineyard and for the sale of the Vineyards' fruit.

Each individual Owner has freehold title to his/her allotment and owns the vineyard established on it, including the trellising, drip irrigation lines and grapevines. The Owners, through the Community Corporation, collectively own the Vineyards' infrastructure, including the bore, pump and headworks and the mains irrigation system which delivers the water to the grapevines, the power source and lighting, the shedding and their fittings and equipment, internal roads and hardstand area, windbreaks, fencing, gates and vineyard signage.

The Owners contract to have their Vineyards managed and operated by a third party and contribute to a common fund administered by the Community Corporation which is applied to meet the ongoing overhead expenses of the Vineyards such as diesel fuel to run the bore pumps, insurance premiums, accounting fees, costs of repairing and maintaining the Vineyards' assets and to provide a sinking fund for the replacement of assets as required.

The fruit produced on the Vineyards is pooled and the revenue is divided amongst the Owners in accordance with the size of the planted area of their allotment. In this way the vagaries of fluctuation in the yield and price achieved for the different varieties grown in the Vineyards are smoothed out.

The individual community title allotments can be traded like any other form of freehold real estate.

management & viticulture

The full time on site Vineyard Manager is Peter Wehl who, with wife Leah, owns and lives on an adjoining vineyard.

Peter has managed the Vineyards since their establishment in 1998 and has been involved in viticulture in Mount Benson since 1989.

Peter's own vineyard was originally planted by his parents, Bill and Margaret Wehl in 1989 and was actually

the first commercial vineyard planted in Mount Benson.

Advice on viticultural practices and vine nutrition was provided by the Adelaide based firm Scholefield Robinson HS until 2009. During the establishment of the Vineyards and subsequently, the principals in the firm, Ben Robinson and Peter Scholefield and their specialist consultants provided invaluable advice. SRHS Viticulture Consultant Mary Retallack was responsible for advising on the Vineyards from 2006 until 2009. In 2009 Ms Retallack commenced her own consulting business and she has been retained by the Vineyards' Management to provide viticulture advice in 2009/10. Ms Retallack inspects the Vineyards on a regular schedule throughout the year.

Above - Viticulturist using a digging stick to illustrate a soil moisture profile during a regular inspection.

        Viticulturist and Vineyard Manager plan the pruning of                            Kingston Estate Wines Grape Supply Manager, is also

         sauvignon blanc                                                                                            closely involved in evaluating viticultural practices and as

                                                                                                                               harvest  approaches, inspection of the fruit with the Winemakers. 

                                                                                                                               

Optimising yield and quality:

The Vineyard Manager and Viticulturist are constantly tweaking and experimenting with pruning techniques, irrigation practices and soil management and vine nutrition as they seek ways to optimise vine yield and fruit quality.

Commencing with veraison in 2010 the Vineyards will acquire airborne imagery at 0.5m resolution which will provide spatial data to enable differential harvesting within Blocks and to optimise the application of inputs. A three year rotation program of mulching with organic material will be selectively applied in the Vineyards commencing 2010 ( to encourage vigour where it is lacking) and planting cover crops in selected areas to constrain vigour where it is excessive. These practices will aim at uniform ripening of fruit within Irrigation Blocks.

There are a range of benefits from applying mulch undervine which include:

* the addition of organic matter which slowly releases nutrients as it breaks down (reducing the need for
fertiliser application);

* improvement in soil biological health (encouraging mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial soil organisms);

* smothering of under vine weeds (reducing the need for herbicides = potential chemical and labour
   savings);

* cooler soils during summer (less reflection from sandy soils);

* improved retention (reduction in evaporation) of irrigation water applied; and

* a greater buffering capacity for vines to cope with extremely hot conditions.

Pruning practices include arched cane pruning of all of the sauvignon blanc, rod & spur pruning of the shiraz. Selected areas of chardonnay have a second cordon wire installed on the trellis. Other trellising is set up for hand lifting of foliage wires to ensure the optimum canopy management.

Periodically inspection pits are dug in different parts of the Vineyards to expose the soil profile and observe root development. Vine rows are mounded to enable expansion of the root zone especially in areas of poorer soil. In other places a second dripper line is added to increase the amount of water available to the vines.

           Soil mounding to expand the root zone.                                                                              Soil profile inspection pit.

       

Grafting new varieties: 

In response to changing demand from consumers and wineries, a block of 3 hectares of cabernet sauvignon in "Guichen Bay Vineyards" was successfully grafted over to sauvignon blanc in 2005. With the oversight of Scholefield Robinson HS' viticulturists and the Vineyard Manager, the old cordon of the cabernet was cut off and removed from the cordon wire and two buds of sauvignon blanc scion were grafted to each cabernet trunk in November 2005. In 2007 a partial crop of sauvignon blanc was picked and in 2008 a full crop was achieved.

     buds from the sauvignon blanc scion                        inserting the buds into their notches in the cabernet trunk and taping them in place                                                       

                                         the sauvignon blanc scions successfully growing on their host cabernet sauvignon trunk

Treelines:

The management and maintenance of the extensive treelines is a vital part of ongoing operations. Periodically the tree roots need to be ripped or trenched to prevent them encroaching on the near rows of vines and robbing the vines of water and nutrients. Also trimming is required to allow the passage of machinery and prevent overshadowing the vines.

       Machine trimming the branches of casaurinas in the mid rows.               Tasmanian Bluegums are used in internal and perimeter windbreaks.

During the establishment phase of the Vineyards thousands of trees were planted in perimeter and internal treelines to shelter the vines from the fierce onshore westerly winds that prevail in winter and early spring and then the southerlies that prevail in summer. The trees are now mature and a great spectacle and very effective as windbreaks.

Fruit appraisal in the Vineyards:

Commencing in 2009 Vintage a program was begun to independently assess the quality of the fruit in the Vineyards immediately prior to harvest. For each of the five varieties in each of the Vineyards, the canopy is assessed and samples of fruit are taken for analysis and appraisal in an independent laboratory. The results of the appraisal can be compared to the quality of the wine actually produced from the Vineyards' fruit by the wineries that process it. This program is co ordinated by the Vineyard Manager and Viticulturist.

Bird control measures:

The Vineyards share the ownership of several assets and co operate in activities such as protection of their crop from damage by birds such as silver eyes and crows. When "Wrights Bay Vineyards" came into production in 2002, the two Corporations jointly acquired and installed an integrated system of acoustic bird control devices to encompass both Vineyards. As the crop ripens acoustic devices are deployed all around the perimeters of the combined Vineyards area and in the internal treelines as the most cost effective means of preventing damage to the crop.

LPG gas "guns" are also deployed in the Vineyards to deter birds form making their own harvest.

Weather station and soil moisture monitoring:

The two Vineyards jointly own the hardware and software comprising a weather station which is linked to other Vineyards in the Region and other Regions in the South East. There is a base station for the system installed in “Wrights Bay Vineyards” . The data recorded includes rainfall, humidity, wind velocity and direction and temperature and alerts for fungal disease and frost risk. The system also gathers data transmitted from soil moisture monitors installed in strategic locations in the two Vineyards. The monitors capture data from three levels in the root zone which is then transmitted to the Vineyard Manager’s office computer for analysis. The monitors are an essential tool in managing the Vineyards’ irrigation regime in differing soil profiles.

                         Weather recorder                                                                                           Soil moisture monitor

Other assets:

The Corporations have jointly acquired other assets such as a John Deere Mower to facilitate maintaining the treelines, a fire fighting unit and a laboratory facility to enable constant testing of the fruit for acid and sugar levels and pH as it ripens.

Reports to the Owners:

Management and Viticulturists report to the Vineyards’ Owners at their Annual General Meetings in November each year. In addition to annual reports, all Owners receive a regular half yearly newsletter and frequent reports by email especially during harvest, to keep them abreast of developments in their Vineyards.

The Annual General Meetings are held in the Mount Benson Hall which also houses the Cellar Door outlet for the Owners' wines..

winemaking

Most of the Vineyards' fruit is contracted to third party wineries however small parcels are selected and processed by contract winemakers for sale under the Owners' label "Guichen Bay Vineyards". The sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are made in Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills while the cabernet, shiraz and merlot are sent to Winemaker Mark Day who is based in McLaren Vale near the southern outskirts of Adelaide.

                                            "Guichen Bay Vineyards" medal winning 2005 shiraz in ferment then maturation in Saint Martin barriques.

The Owners' label was established in 2003 with the production of a sauvignon blanc and a shiraz. Due to contractual arrangements, until 2007 the fruit for the Owners label was taken from an adjoining vineyard which was until then under the same management. In 2008 no reds were made but a sauvignon blanc was made from "Guichen Bay Vineyards" fruit. In 2009 the sauvignon blanc fruit was been sourced from "Wrights Bay Vineyards" while chardonnay was made for the first time and it and the reds were sourced from "Guichen Bay Vineyards".
The Owners objective is to demonstrate that the Vineyards are the source of top quality fruit. The wines are made in sufficient quantity to qualify for entry in smaller wineshows and tastings.

contracts with wineries

"Wrights Bay Vineyards" fruit is contracted until 2012 vintage to Kingston Estate Wines winery which is located at Kingston – on – Murray in the South Australian "Riverland", 400 kilometres north of Mount Benson.

Kingston Estate Wines is a well known and highly regarded winemaker which processes over 60,000 tonnes of fruit annually. The business was established in 1979 by the Moularadellis family and is still owned by them .

It exports over 80% of its production to countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Sweden, China and SE Asia. It is in the top ten of Australian wine producers and exporters.

In recent years it has added substantially to its sources of premium cool climate fruit by contracting with growers in Regions such as Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra and the Clare Valley as well as Mount Benson.

The Table below shows the market price for each of the varieties relevant to the two Vineyards as published in August / September each year by the Phylloxera & Grape Industry Board of South Australia click here:

("Limestone Coast - Other " includes the GIs and subregions of Mount Benson, Robe, Bordertown, Elgin Valley (Beachport)

and vineyards around Lucindale).

"LIMESTONE COAST-OTHER"			WEIGHTED DISTRICT AVERAGE PRICE PER TONNE
Year		Cabernet		Merlot		Shiraz		Chardonnay		Sauvignon
		Sauvignon								Blanc
2009		$1,122		$888		$1,162		$734		$1,164
2008		$1,117		$972		$1,231		$790		$1,389
2007		$954		$947		$1,039		$872		$1,433
2006		$835		$907		$878		$805		$1,186
2005		$740		$736		$933		$992		$1,270
2004		$923		$863		$908		$1,206		$1,155
2003		$1,249		$1,259		$1,311		$1,395		$1,169
2002		$1,269		$1,069		$1,332		$1,424		$1,042
2001		$1,646		$1,449		$1,567		$1,328		$1,095
2000		$1,562		$1,392		$1,531		$1,352		$921

Because of the distance from the Vineyards to the winery, the fruit is typically harvested at night and leaves the Vineyards after midnight to arrive at the winery when it opens in the morning.