The Featured Wineries of 2012 will be announced in February. See below for the 2011 featured wineries.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
All Featured Wineries are listed alphabetically by region. Scroll down for Featured Wineries from Australia, Chile and New Zealand.‣AUSTRALIA
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PARINGA ESTATE (Victoria)
Represented by Lindsay McCallParinga Estate winery was established in 1985 by owner & winemaker Lindsay McCall. By 2010 Paringa Estate managed 55 acres of vineyard and processed around 200 tons of fruit or 16,000 cases of wine (approx 60% pinot noir). In 2007 James Halliday awarded Paringa Estate his inaugural “Australian Winery of the Year” in recognitions of Lindsay’s consistently high standard of wine. Also in 2007 Lindsay was nominated Gourmet Traveler Wine Magazine “Australian Winemaker of the Year” in recognition for his contribution to the Australian wine industry. Paringa Estate is an icon producer not only within the local Mornington Peninsula region, but also within the wider Australian Wine Industry – currently exporting to the UK, Denmark, and 6 Asian Countries including China. |
‣CHILE
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LOMA LARGA VINEYARDS (Casablanca)
Represented by Cédric NicolleDon Manuel Joaquín Díaz Escudero Alvarez de Toledo, grandfather of the owners of Loma Larga, personally brought French rootstock from his successive tours of Paris and Bordeaux, which were planted with the help of French winemakers in his estate “Chacra Victoria”, now located in the heart of Santiago city. With the intention of keeping the family tradition of high quality wine making alive, as noted in the wine exhibition in Paris in 1889, the family began planting vines in their estate in Casablanca in 1999. After studying the climate and soil of Chile, they saw great potential in the terroir of Loma Larga, which has become the emblem of cool climate wine producers in Chile. Native of The Loire Valley, Winemaker Cédric has 15 years experience working with cold climate grape varieties. He has traveled through the most prestigious wine regions of the world, including New Zealand and Oregon, where he gained experience pursuing finesse, elegance and fresh fruit flavors and aromas in wine. |
‣NEW ZEALAND
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ESCARPMENT VINEYARDS (Martinborough)
Represented by Larry McKennaEscarpment Vineyard has been established to produce “tomorrow’s definitive new world Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Chardonnay.” Sixty acres of flat alluvial gravel terrace soils have been developed since 1999 in the Martinborough district of New Zealand’s lower North Island. This site is considered a “cool climate” with annual rainfall of twenty-eight inches. It forms part of the now recognized, world famous Martinborough Terraces. 2003 saw the completion of a gravity-fed winery built with an underground barrel room. |
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JULES TAYLOR (Marlborough)
Represented by Jules TaylorAfter exploring the globe's wine producing areas and working many consecutive vintages in Italy, Jules settled back into Marlborough helping to produce award winning wines for the likes of Kim Crawford, Saint Clair and Cape Campbell. 2001 was the first release under the Jules Taylor label. Since then, the wines have collected a growing number of accolades as well as a sizable fan base throughout the world. Jules is passionate about the flavors, the consistent fruit quality found in Marlborough and creating unique wines from these grapes. Utilizing her intimate knowledge of the Marlborough region Jules has brought together a selection of vineyards where the grape variety, soil and micro-climate all work in harmony to produce the unique flavors she seeks. |
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MT. DIFFICULTY (Central Otago)
Represented by
Matt DiceyWith their founding vineyards established in 1992, Mt. Difficulty owns some of the oldest vineyards and is one of most respected wineries in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s rugged South Island. Situated in Bannockburn, a unique and rare area of extremes, Mt. Difficulty has harnessed the once brutal terrain to produce premium wines at the forefront of Central Otago’s wine production. Their plantings are made up of 13 separate vineyard sites. The terroirs of the vineyards are profoundly influenced by the distinctly different soils, which range from clays to gravels. The wines are all meticulously hand-crafted with minimal intervention to allow each vineyard’s typicity to express itself. Mt. Difficulty is deeply devoted to working sustainably. Their aim is to leave a richer landscape than found. |
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PROPHET'S ROCK (Central Otago)
Represented by Paul Pujol Prophet’s Rock was founded in 1999 by Mike Mulvey. After considerable research, two small vineyards were established at Pisa and Bendigo in Central Otago, New Zealand. The team was considerably strengthened with the arrival of Paul Pujol as winemaker in 2005. Paul brings extensive and unique experience in Pinot Noir and aromatic white wines from his time with top domains in France, Oregon and New Zealand. Our vineyard-focused approach combines with minimal intervention in the winery to produce wines that are true reflections of the Prophet’s Rock vineyards. Native yeast fermentation and extended élévage are features of our vinification. |