|
About Us
History
Foate's Ridge was
founded in 1991 with the purchase of farm land in Fordwich, five minutes from
the township of Broke in the lower Hunter Valley.
The first 5 acres of
Chardonnay was planted in 1992 and the first vintage of Foate's Ridge Chardonnay made in
1994. A further 5 acres of Chardonnay, as well as 5 acres of Verdelho, were planted in 1995. The
first vintage from these new blocks was in 1997.
During 2000, 6 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 acre of Merlot
were planted on the red volcanic slope. The Merlot plantings were extended by a further 5 acres in 2001.
A country style house
with encircling verandahs, was erected near the top of the ridge, giving
unimpeded views over the whole vineyard, including the mountains to the south
and the valley to both the east and west.
The Vineyard
The property
comprises 90 acres of land stretching from the Wollombi Brook to the crest of
the Fordwich Sill.
Seventy-five percent
of the land is light alluvial loam, suitable for the cultivation of white wine
grapes, and the balance is deep red volcanic soil, ideal for growing red wine
grapes. Soil thickness is around 2 metres and has proven to be very
fertile.
The vineyard was originally irrigated from a natural spring on
the property. Subsequently, a large storage dam was
constructed and water pumped from the Wollombi Brook and the Broke Fordwich Private Irrigation District
("PID") water scheme. Water quality is good with low salt content.
The Winemaker
Cameron Webster
makes our wines.
The Wines
Foate's Ridge
wines are made to a consistent style which produces lightly wooded wines with
distinctive fruit flavours. Partly matured in one or two year old oak with the
balance left on the lees to fill out the middle palate. The fruit is generally
harvested mid February in the cool of the night. Fruit condition has
been consistently good over the years. The nature acid structure is always good
and the aging of the vines is contributing more intense and distinctive fruit
flavours in the finished wine. The style is ripe peaches, pears and
mangos….a sense of subtlety, freshness and complexity. The first vintage
in 1994 had a small amount of residual sugar with lots of weight and lingering
flavours. The latter vintages are a lighter style but powerful with more
pronounced fruit flavours. The finished product contains only minimal
preservatives.
The
wines generally peaked at 4 to 5 years out, but were good up to 8 years. They were best
served ice cold outside on a hot day, or at room temperature on a cool evening
to accentuate the fruit flavours.
Technologies
The vineyard traditionally employs Scott Henry trellising utilising
a combination of steel and wood posts. The Scott Henry trellis style
promised to promote more efficient canopy management, allowing more sunlight
into the vine, with a more open vine structure. The aim was to
help avoid bunch rot and crop deterioration in wet and humid weather, guarding
against the risk of crop loss if wet weather occurred at harvest time.
The target was good
quality grapes and profitable yields - 5 to 6 tonne per acre.
However, while Scott Henry trellising
has been found to be unpopular with winemakers, we believe we can grow better
grapes on Scott Henry. The vine structure is currently being modified towards
short cordons over two fruit wires with yields reduced to 4 tonne per
acre.
Laser equipment
is used during trellis installation to ensure perfect row alignment.
Drip irrigation is installed and a Gopher is used to monitor soil moisture
levels. The irrigation process is operated by a computerised
controller.
Pruning and shoot
positioning are done by hand, but spraying, cultivation and vine trimming are
mechanised. Fertiliser is applied through the drip irrigation system.
The grapes are machine
harvested in the cool of the night to preserve fruit quality. The increasing use
of steel trellis posts helps the harvester recover bunches close to the post, a
difficult task with wood posts.
Vineyard Practices
A professional viticulturist,
Neil Grosser of Broke, under the watchful eye of the owner
Tony Foate, attends to day to day vineyard activities.
No expense is spared
in ensuring that vineyard practices are in the "best practice"
category. The focus is to produce the best quality fruit .. at a profit. This
means getting good yields and producing good quality, clean fruit. These aims
are achieved by :
- adopting modern
canopy management techniques
- paying close
attention to vine health
- avoiding disease
and insect problems by applying preventative sprays
- using a
scientific approach to maintaining adequate soil moisture levels
During winter, a cover
crop such as Canola is planted. While the vines are growing, regular nitrogen
fertilisation through the drip system is carried out. Fungicidal and insecticide
sprays are applied when necessary. Cultivation is used to prevent weed growth
and weedicides are rarely used.
Weather Patterns
Fordwich
has a cool dry winter and a hot wet summer. Annual rainfall is around 650mm
(26in). Frosts are common in winter and a single late frost after budburst is
common. Hail is a threat while the grapes are ripening. The hot humid summer
means the threat of mildew and bunch rot is ever present.
|
