An East Coast property which switched from sheep farming to vine growing in 1998 was named the 2009 Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year.
Kelvedon Estate, which was first farmed in 1829, now produces Chardonnay and Pinot for Hardy’s (Constellation) Bay of Fires label, as well as Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc for its own label, Kelvedon Estate.
Entries were judged on a number of criteria, including soil management, weed control, disease control, pruning, forming of the vine, trellising, and water management.
The annual Vineyard of the Year Award is an initiative of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania, in partnership with DPIW and Wine Industry Tasmania. It focuses on viticulture management as the single most important element in producing great wines.
As part of the Award, the owner and vineyard manager Julian Cotton will host a field day for other vineyard professionals and industry representatives so that the winning vineyard can share its viticulture methods. The field day will be held at Kelvedon Estate on May 21 2009.
Craigow Vineyard, one of Tasmania’s historic properties, has won the 2008 Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year award.
Located at Cambridge in the Coal River Valley near Hobart, Craigow produces wines which consistently rank highly in wine shows. Its success has been put down to a good location, good vineyard management, and good wine making.
The Vineyard of the Year Award encourages and rewards excellence in viticulture management, which is the most important element in producing good wines.
Craigow has about 10ha of cultivated vineyards, producing pinot noir, riesling, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, merlot and gewürztraminer grapes..
This year the judges of the Vineyard of the Year had a special theme: environmental management. Some 30 areas of vineyard management were assessed by the judging panel with particular emphasis on environmental management
The Richard Langdon Trophy will be awarded to the Vineyard Manager, Ian Aitken, at a field day for industry representatives to be held at Craigow vineyard on Thursday May 15 2008.