THE VINEYARD

Climate

Bended Knee is positioned at an altitude of 570m, on a north facing slope of Mt Buninyong just south of Ballarat. The region's cool climate along with the vineyard's elevation and aspect produce growing conditions just perfect for ripening grapes slowly and over a long period. Ideal for wine but not always for the workers.

Sustainability - It's all about the soil.

The best well balanced wines are produced from strong, healthy plants that aren't forced or stressed. Bended Knee vineyard is perched on the edge of an old volcanic lava flow. The red and brown clay loams sit over an underlying layer of basalt; these fertile soils are a living home to a multitude of microorganisms. It is this Soil Food Web that provides the nutrients and minerals vital for strong healthy plants.

We use a number of management practices to support and encourage a diverse and active range of soil microorganisms: 

  • compost teas add a range of beneficial fungi and bacteria vital for making nutrients accessible to vine root systems

  • avoiding the use of herbicides and minimising soil tillage further support the soil biota

  • we've been using cover crops for several years to build soil carbon and make nutrients available to these microorganisms

Assistance in the Vineyard

Our low-impact, sustainable approach in the vineyard has other benefits.

Eliminating harsher systemic fungicides and pesticides protects the many beneficial organisms in the vineyard. Spiders and insects like ladybirds and lacewings prey on pests like light brown applemoth larvae; Trichogramma (native wasps) further reduce the numbers of these damaging caterpillars. When the system is balanced, there is less need for pesticides.

It's hands-on.

Vineyard management is quite a manual, time-intensive job. 

All aspects of pruning are done by hand in the depths of winter - no machine pruning here, every vine is assessed and managed individually.

Shoot thinning, positioning and canopy management are all aimed at achieving an open, even canopy - ideal for disease resistance and even, consistent ripening of grapes.

In Autumn, the grapes are all hand-picked, with careful sorting in the vineyard to ensure only the best fruit makes it to the winery.