05 Jun Off the Vine, Season 1, Ep 5

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Leasingham Vineyard: Kerri Thompson is the Manager and chief winemaker at Leasingham Wines. The Leasingham estate has four vineyards where they grow Riesling, Cabernet and Shiraz. Some of the vines are over forty years old. The soil in the Clare Valley is very similar to the Limestone Coast. The main difference in styles is attributed to the difference in climate and in particular altitude. The higher altitude allows for significant cooling of the grapes at night. With a focus on producing premium wines, Leasingham reds are typically kept in oak barrels for up to twenty months. The wines are batched, meaning the separate parcels of fruit are kept in separate barrels and not mixed until the wines are blended for final release. This has many advantages. The wine quality can be traced directly to a specific part of the vineyard, and the winemaker is presented with greater range of options for blending. The barrels are racked, meaning that they are emptied and refilled three to four times a year. This enables close monitoring of the wine’s progress to maximize the final outcome. Leasingham Wines was originally a jam factory, but fortunately after a short period they realized that wine making was a lot more fun. Their first vintage was released in 1895. Parts of the original winery still exist.