Rusden Driftsand Grenache Shiraz Mataro

On our vineyard in the seventies, 80 year old Grenache and Shiraz bush vines were pushed out to make way for mechanised grape production. At the direction of the large companies at the time, the cleared land was replanted with high yielding white varieties to fulfil demand in the bulk market. Twenty years later, out of respect and as a tribute to the hard work and wisdom of the early German pioneers who planted the bush vines, Mum, Dad and I spent many late spring months on our knees, grafting the twenty five year old vines back to their original varieties. Grenache was traditionally planted to make fortified but these days I like to use it in this age-old blend of Grenache and Shiraz.