Ferngrove Wines

James Halliday’s 2015 Australian Wine Companion has just been released with renowned Australian wine critic and vigneron James Halliday awarding Ferngrove’s Winery five red stars for the eleventh consecutive years in his 2015 Australian Wine Companion! Ferngrove and Killerby wines scored well with 15 of our wines scoring 90 points and above. Well done to Chief Winemaker Kim Horton, Vineyard Manager Chris Zur and all the winery based team.

In winemaking, time, patience and consistent weather are precious commodities. Ferngrove Wines, in Frankland River, is one of the world’s most isolated wine estates. While this isolation makes the logistics of winemaking tough, it is also what makes Ferngrove wines distinctly different.

Selected in 1998 by founder Murray Burton for its favourable viticultural location 90 kilometres from the coast, Great Southern’s valleys and slopes have the rare combination of rugged, classically West Australian ancient soils and the cooling influence of the converging Southern and Indian Oceans. This unique setting allows grapes to ripen at a slower rate, giving the winemaking team the time to cultivate and nurture vines to produce their absolute best fruit.
 

Frankland River’s remote location has fostered a pioneering spirit in our dedicated team. Between them, Viticulturist Chris Zur and Chief Winemaker Kim Horton have worked at Ferngrove for 25 years and they take pride in ensuring Ferngrove Wines are produced sustainably.

We work with the land using the resources around us, channelling rainfall as a supplementary irrigation system and nurturing the area’s native forests, preserving the native wildflowers and orchids, to help improve the natural biodiversity. Ferngrove is also home to one of Australia’s largest winery solar power systems; operating and thriving by its very connection to and harmony with the land.

It is this relationship with the land which influences Ferngrove. Named after the road the winery and home vineyards sit upon, Ferngrove’s iconic red The Stirlings is an acknowledgement of the mountain ranges which are conspicuous on the Great Southern skyline; and the Ferngrove Orchid wines are a tribute to the Western Australian native orchids that grow on the remnant bush on the estate. It is no surprise then that our distinctive Ferngrove symbol is an interpretation of the local bracken fern found around the winery, signalling new botanical growth.

Proudly Australian-run with the benefits of international ownership, we at Ferngrove have deep respect for the land, and are committed to crafting exceptional wines of Western Australia.

Ferngrove Wines are produced from estate-grown fruit from four vineyards in the Frankland River region, that nestle in undulating farmland, surrounded by olive groves, wheat, sheep and cattle, to create a protected landscape for our grapes to flourish. Generally, vines in the region run north to south, capturing maximum sunlight allowing us to craft wines that are of the land, as nature intended. Wine excellence starts in the vineyards, in the fertile soil of Frankland River.

The Ferngrove Wines team aim to craft outstanding wines which reflect our pristine region. From Frankland River we bring you exceptional quality, value and enjoyment no matter where you are. We thrive by our very connection to and harmony with the land, putting this passion into practice in our vineyards and winery. Our isolated setting, growing conditions, distance from the coast and gravelly soils are perfect for cultivating wine. Warm days and cool nights help the grapes to ripen slowly; encouraging intense flavours, fine acid and tannins, resulting in wines that reflect the true character of Frankland River.

Ferngrove is committed to preserving its pristine environment. What’s more, we aim to honour the wonder of Frankland River by creating wines with a sense a flavour reflective of the purity of our surrounds.

In a practical sense this means we have reduced our environmental impact by rehabilitating parts of our property leaving the surroundings in a better state for the future. We promote natural biodiversity in the vineyards by using integrated pest management, which substantially reduces the need for chemicals. This means that rather than spraying weeds we look for natural solutions; putting sheep in the vineyards to help keep weeds at bay.

We have preserved a large portion of bushland surrounding our vines and where possible we have encouraged it to regenerate. These sections of bushland alongside newly planted trees help our vines by reducing salinity, and at the same time they maintain the natural Frankland River landscape.

Water is a precious commodity around here, and we pride ourselves on being as efficient as possible with this valuable resource. Drip irrigation has been installed throughout Ferngrove’s vineyards delivering water to the vines to supplement rainfall when necessary.

In July 2013 we unveiled a massive 228kW solar system with 696 panels which powers our winery with 341 000kWh every year. The result of a massive effort by our team, it is the second largest privately owned solar system in Western Australia. By reducing our reliance on black coal, this system will have long-lasting benefits for the environment.

HACCP
Ferngrove Wines has been accredited in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) since 2005.  The system’s purpose is to identify hazards in the production process and reduce risks anywhere from vineyard to bottle. To keep things in check, we submit to two audits annually.