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Chain of Ponds Wines is Australia’s most highly
awarded boutique winery
"Latest News December 2007 - The Vineyard
Balcony Restaurant is now open again for lunch at the weekend"
The
business was established in 1985 when a small pilot block
was planted at Gumeracha to test the suitability of different
grape varieties in the then newly emerging cool climate
Adelaide Hills wine region. The vines planted included Chardonnay
and Sauvignon Blanc both of which have become signature
wines of the Adelaide Hills, and a number of traditional
Italian varieties including Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Sangiovese
and Nebbiolo all of which were demonstrated to be ideally
suited to the Adelaide Hills.
The winery takes its name from the township of Chain of
Ponds which was established in 1864, on the banks of the
River Torrens in the hills above Adelaide. The little town
thrived until the 1970’s when it was razed to expand
the adjacent Millbrook reservoir which now provides much
of Adelaide’s water supply.
Winemaker (back
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Chain of Ponds wines are made by the renowned winemaker
Neville Falkenberg.
Neville has worked for Chain of Ponds for the last five
years, but his love of wine started to emerge when as a
young man he worked in his parents’ vineyards. His
natural winemaking talent and ability has evolved over a
career that spans 31 Vintages, making wine for many well-known
Australian labels including senior winemaking roles at Tollana
and at Penfolds. During his time at Penfolds he was responsible
for the development of “Yattarna” often described
as “the White Grange”.
He has received many industry accolades including being
awarded the inaugural “Barossa Winemaker of the Year”
in 1998.
Neville has a genuinely creative approach to the complex
art of fine winemaking ideally suited to the boutique nature
of Chain of Ponds winemaking.
Philosophy (back
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We source the best fruit from the best vineyards in the
Adelaide Hills and take care and pride in making the quality
wines with a difference. We continue to make traditional
varietal wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz
and Cabernet Sauvignon but we also use Nevilles winemaking
expertise to produce some fabulous and not so well know
varieties such as a Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Pinot Grigio.
Region/Climate/Soil (back
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The Region
The Adelaide Hills is arguably Australia's most vibrant
premier cool climate wine region and is well known around
the world for its distinctive premium wines, viticulture
and stunning scenery.
It is located in the Mount Lofty Ranges just east of Adelaide,
stretching in a narrow band some 70km long. The boundaries
of the Adelaide Hills are registered with the Geographic
Indications Committee with the highest vineyards sited at
close to 600 metres altitude in areas such as Summertown,
Piccadilly and Carey Gully.
Just a 20-minute drive from Adelaide can transport you
to the Adelaide Hills Wine Region, offering the rare combination
of proximity to a capital city with the feel of being a
world away.
The Climate
Regardless of the diversity of the region the climate can
be generally described as a high rainfall region in comparison
to other Australian wine regions, however this rainfall
is mainly during the winter months. The summer months are
generally warm and dry compared to winter, however the average
temperatures are considerably cooler than regions outside
of the Adelaide Hills.
The Soil
The geography and climate of the AHWR has contributed to
soils that are highly variable in structure and chemistry.
However in general terms they can be described as a mixture
of sandy loams, loams and clay loams over clay subsoils
that vary in structure, although it is not unusual to find
these soils combined with shale and ironstone. They are
generally acidic and in some cases neutral in pH, but rarely
alkaline.
Opening Hours (back
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Chain of Ponds Wines is open seven days a week for wine
tasting. Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm and on Weekends
and most Public Holidays from 10.00am to 4.30pm. |