hen you drink Whitsend family wine, you know that each stage of the process to produce this wonderful wine has been under the personal direction of the owners, Ross and Trish Baldwin.
The goals that Ross and Trish have set for their wine are very high. From the start, they wanted their vineyard in the Yarra Valley to be amongst the leaders in this premium wine region. From their knowledge and love of good wine and of the Yarra Valley, they understand the requirements for high quality grape and wine production. Ross's long experience as a civil engineer provides the technical basis for his successful investigation, design, review and implementation of a world class vineyard.
So, in 1997, it wasn't only instinct that that led them to the spot that is now Whitsend Estate. Soil tests and site analysis confirmed that they had found an outstanding 50 acre site for a vineyard that would take full advantage of the summer sun.
It is not so hard to grow good grapes in the Yarra Valley but there is a commitment to traditional values and quality at Whitsend that demands more than this.
Careful attention to vineyard siting, variety selection, soil and moisture conditions, pruning, yield…all the key dimensions for a superior result are carefully monitored and controlled.
hitsend is a labour of love and dedication to long term quality—hand pruning, hand picking, careful management, working to get the vines into balance to produce premium fruit. Ross and Trish are strongly committed to the belief that 'good wines are made in the vineyard'.
Paul Evans has made Whitsend wines since its inception. However, due to the working relationship with Oakridge Estate, who buy all our surplus fruit, it has become more efficient to use their winemaking services. David Bicknell and Adrian Rodda have made the current Shiraz Viognier. We will work with them on future Whitsend vintages.
David in particular has already established himself as a pre-eminent winemaker in Australia
As a result, Whitsend wines bring out the best of the varietal characteristics— well structured, elegant wines that will mature gracefully. The wines are not made to a formula. They vary with the season but are always the best that can be achieved.
Consistent with this winemaking philosophy, Whitsend wines see only the best of materials—carefully selected oak for the barrels and premium corks to seal the bottles.
Ross and Trish will never produce their wines in high volumes; each wine is limited in quantity by the scale of the vineyard and their insistence on superior quality.
Join the family and enjoy the benefits of this commitment!
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