Winemaking

Winemaking at Purple Hen is a team affair - both in terms of people and in the close integration between vineyard and winery.

Rick and Pip are responsible for winemaking and the operations of the winery. But in producing quality wines, the work done in the vineyard is as much or more important to that in the winery. Adam, Pip and Rick are all involved in vineyard and winery aspects of the business.

When it comes time to consider wines and blends our cellar door team is also actively involved. In blind tastings and wine decisions the more palates and perspectives the better.

'Winemaker' is a term we dont really identify with. It suggest a degree of intervention and fabrication to which we do not aspire. Our role is more akin to that of a ‘wine mid-wife’ – intervening if things go awry, but by and large, assisting nature to take its course. Good site selection, management of the vines and the timing and management of harvest (i.e. careful and intelligent hand harvesting) are the keys to superior wines. The role of winemaking is to ensure that the potential created in the vineyard is fully reflected in the wine in the bottle.