High Density
We believe the key to maximising quality on our site is with a high-density vineyard where the vines are planted much closer together.
Our rows are 1.2m apart and the vines 0.75m apart, which gives a planting density of 11,111 vines per hectare. This is more than four times the density of conventional Australian vineyards.
High-density increases the competition for nutrients, water and sunlight and reduces the yield per vine, concentrating the vine's resources on fewer bunches. Reduced yields often result in more intense and complex flavours and help to ensure consistent quality across vintages. We aim for 450g of fruit per vine and 35 hectolitres per hectare.
High-density means a lot of work must be done by hand and requires a whole new set of custom equipment to suit the narrow rows.
The ‘Niko’ is our small and light, 68cm wide mini tractor on caterpillar tracks. It brings us much closer to the task at hand, with more precise control and very low soil compaction.
