Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. We also use a number of different cultivars or ‘clones’ of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.
Soil + Vine
Shaw + Smith is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, and is committed to the best possible soil and vine health in both vineyards, at Lenswood and Balhannah, and a third in Piccadilly to be newly planted in Spring 2020.
Shaw + Smith has always used sustainable, environmentally sensitive practices including farming individual blocks organically, using sheep to control weeds, facilitating beneficial insects in the vineyard and using seaweed fertilisers, and now use no herbicides, synthetic fertilisers or fungicides.
Organic practice has been a natural progression over time translating to, at its simplest, healthier and more flavoursome fruit. Shaw + Smith will gain organic certification for the vineyards following the mandatory three-year transition period.
The healthy soil and vine philosophy currently employs the following:
- No herbicides, synthetic fertilisers and fungicides
- Organic compost-based fertilisers
- Mowing and mechanical weed removal
- Shoot and bunch thinning, and vertical shoot position canopies
- Organic canopy sprays for disease control
- High density planting (5000+ vines per hectare)
- Diverse mid-row swards
- All fruit hand picked
- Native vegetation areas within vineyards
