Crawford River wines has been family owned and operated since 1975, crafting wines exclusively from selected, hand-picked fruit grown in their estate vineyard. And it’s not just the fruit that comes directly from their estate, every wine is also vinified and bottled on site too. The fruit is brought to the winery in small parcels, where meticulous attention is paid to every tiniest detail. Patience and time are of the essence in this winery. The team at Crawford River believes in minimal interference and movement during vinification, preferring the fruit to naturally express their special terroir. It is their belief that this approach influences the pure and elegant qualities found in their wines. Since 2005 there has been a happy confluence of young and old at Crawford River wines. While professionally trained and with numerous international vintages under her belt, Belinda knows there is no substitute for John´s 35+ years of experience in the Estate vineyard he created.
The Crawford River vineyard lies at the alluvial edge of a volcanic lava flow. The 11.5 Ha vineyard has its roots in an unusually complex, mineral-rich soil base. Gravelly, friable, basalt loam overlays permeable clay which in turn lies above a limestone base created by an ancient, risen seabed. Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon are the two main varieties in the vineyard, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. And with care comes quality; all major activities such as picking, pruning, leaf-plucking, shoot-thinning and green pruning are done lovingly by hand. Well done Crawford River crew!
