Presenting a series of Sunday's showcasing the stories from Wine, Beer & Spirits of the Fleurieu.

These are reproduced with permission from Soul Publishing and Rojina Duval.

These stories feature prominent farmers, fishermen, producers and chefs – from Port Noarlunga to Cape Jervis – along with their favourite recipes and tips. Enjoy!

CHALK HILL WINES

The story of Chalk Hill started in 1839 when John Harvey arrived in Adelaide, which was then a three-year old colony of just 6,000 people.

John was the second person to plant grapes north of Adelaide, in the town he established and named Salisbury, in honour of his wife's birthplace in England. Little did he realise, when planting those grapes, that he was starting a grape-growing and wine-making heritage that now continues six generations and over 180 years later.

“Both my father, Walter Harvey, and I moved from Salisbury to establish vineyards in McLaren Vale, after recognising the superior grape-growing conditions here,” says John Harvey, the patriarch of Chalk Hill.

“The vineyard I purchased in Willunga was first planted with grenache in 1897, and these centurions are still producing fantastic grapes today. It was also at this vineyard where Diana and I made our home and raised three children – Kate, Jock and Tom.

“Today, they are all involved in the wine community, with Kate a general manager at Wine Australia, Jock running his own vineyards and Tom running Chalk Hill Wines. So, I guess you could say the sixth generation is keeping the family wine heritage alive!”

Today, Chalk Hill has five vineyards across McLaren Vale, including the Chalk Hill vineyard which was planted in 1969 and is now home to the newly opened Chalk Hill Tasting Room.

The Chalk Hill brand started organically, as John explains: “Our focus was growing grapes for some of the best wineries in Australia. Each year we kept a few parcels of grapes to make some wine for gifting to family and friends, but that soon changed when we started getting hit up for orders before the grapes were picked. The business grew out of a demand instead of a business plan, and largely on the philosophy of making great wines to share with friends.

“Wine tells a story of the place where we live. It shows the climate over the growing season, the soil in which it was grown, and the way the grapes have been tended from the vineyard to the bottle. There’s no more beguiling, rewarding and enjoyable experience than discovering this story with friends and loved ones.”

There have been some exciting changes going on at the Chalk Hill site on Field Street McLaren Vale in 2020. Not only is it home to Chalk Hill Wines, but visitors can now find the Never Never Distilling Co. there, and Cucina di Strada (Street Kitchen in Italian), home of the ‘pinsa’ – a pizza native to the area around Rome.

CELLAR DOOR

“Chalk Hill Wines has a wine bar as well as the Alpha Crucis Tasting Lounge, named after the brightest star in the Southern Cross Constellation.”

PAIRING

“Our Chalk Hill Grenache, Tempranillo, Graciano – this is a wine with great versatility because it pairs well with everything from roasted chicken to a hearty steak. Grenache has been planted around McLaren Vale for more than a century, while tempranillo and graciano are mere babies by comparison.”

ADDRESS 56 Field Street, McLaren Vale SA 5171

Find out more: Chalk Hill Wines

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