Land

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which our family live, work and care for today is on the traditional lands of the Peramangk people. We respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We acknowledge the Peramangk peoples as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide Hills and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are important.

We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

Manon Farm is perched high up (600 meters elevation) on the Forest Range ridge of the Adelaide Hills nestled between the Basket Range and Lenswood. With a dramatic view straight down to the Gulf St Vincent below this unique situation is very rewarding for the vines as cooling air is drawn straight up and over the farm from the ocean. This combined with the elevation results in an extra long, slow ripening period for the grapes and ideal growing conditions for our organic approach.

The ridge was formed some 600 million years ago during the Cambrian period and as such there is a great complexity of very, very old rocks - predominately mica schists with large seams of iron stone quartz then a red clay layer and lastly a thin but beautiful top soil formed by ancient eucalypt forests and the passage of time... This super abundance of quartz and mica (silica) makes for very mineral driven wines.

The land is 25 acres in total with 15 of that devoted to the vine. These vines have been planted progressively since 1993 and comprise of many small plots that include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Savagnin, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Garganega, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2018 we started our journey with new vineyard plantings of Gamay, Trousseau, Aleatico, Malvasia, Mondeuse and another new half acre of Savagnin. These cutting were taken, growing in our vegetable garden and then planted into the field early spring with a good handful of compost made by us. On top of this we have incorporated around 100 mixed heritage and wild fruit trees to compliment and further evolve our cider - APQ

We make many different cuvées depending on the season and only produce wine from grapes that we have grown ourselves on the land we tend. We choose not to supplement our fruit with that of other growers and as such some years our production can be very limited (or tiny)

The vines are dry farmed and the land is tended using Biodynamic culture - a holistic farming method in sync with the rhythms of the earth and the cosmos which is dear to our hearts and hands. This is incredibly enriching and satisfying for us and the land.

We wish not to control Nature but to work with, listen to and be attentive every step of the way. Creating a truly diverse working farm with vines, orchards, vegetables and native forest. Our own world truly humming with the vibration of life.