WINEMAKING

At Haselgrove we focus on small batch production, allowing the blending of small parcels to create high quality, hand-crafted wines. Significantly, the small batch facilities allow our Winemakers the ability to keep small parcels of fruit and ultimately wine separate until the final blending stage. For our winemakers, the ultimate goal is to create wine that display’s the terroir of the vineyard and seasonal variation in the bottle.

Our Winemakers utilise a combination of ‘old world’ wine making techniques and the best modern day practices. Many of our reds begin their transition to wine in 5 tonne open top fermenters where they are cold soaked to extract and enhance flavours and natural tannins and then hand plunged to build complexity and structure. Whilst year on year consistency and hitting our high quality ques is key, our winemaking team are passionate about producing hand-crafted, artisan wines which reflect vintage conditions and display the terroir of the vineyard.



CHIEF WINEMAKER

Andrew Locke 

Andrew fell into winemaking after spending many Easter holidays with his family in the Clare Valley, growing up having fond memories of wineries and vineyards. After completing his Bachelor of Applied Science in Wine Science at Adelaide University, Andrew headed off and completed a vintage in the Sanoma Valley. Upon his return to Australia, Andrew moved to the Riverina and started work with DeBortoli Wines learning how to craft botrytis wines.


Andrew’s love of wine eventually landed him a job with Rosemount Estate, where he spent four years in the Hunter Valley, learning about Chardonnay. Rosemount moved Andrew back to South Australia and the Ryecroft Winery in the heart of McLaren Vale, where his love for Shiraz and Grenache grew for the next 13 years. This is where he discovered the vast array of new and emerging Mediterranean varieties which he took to heart. He crafted several highly awarded wines over the years, culmination in winning the coveted Bushing Trophy for the best wine of the McLaren Vale wine show.


Andrew spent five vintages working for the Randall Wine group before heading back to the Clare Valley working for Kirrihill, where his love of wine started. In late 2022 Andrew saw an opportunity to move back to his true love of McLaren Vale and join the Haselgrove team, bringing his experience and wisdom with him.


“McLaren Vale is truly one of the great wine regions of the new world. We are blessed to have such a mild maritime climate, low rainfall, and no humidity, making it the perfect place to grow premium grapes. The geology is also one of the oldest and most complex of all the grape growing regions globally, giving us extraordinary depth and structure in our wines.” - Andrew Locke





What is our winemaker drinking this Autumn...? 

Winemakers Pick

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'The Ambassador' Shiraz 2017
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'Catkin' Shiraz
$40.00
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'Vine Sean' Grenache