Banrock Station
Good Earth, Fine Wine
Kingston On MurrayBanrock Station is an historical 1,700 hectare property at the junction of Banrock Creek and the Murray River in South Australia’s Riverland region.
250 hectares are devoted to premium grape varieties – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Semillon.
The remaining land has been returned to its natural state including 12 kilometres of river frontage and adjoining wetland and floodplain of over 400 hectares.
Before they produced great tasting wines, the soils had been used extensively for grazing sheep and cattle and vegetable production. But now, following some passionate environmental work in conjunction with major Australian conservation group Wetland Care Australia, Banrock’s soil and nearby wetlands have been lovingly restored.
As well as the environmental work at the property part proceeds from the sales of Banrock Station wines are donated to the high profile environmental groups Landcare Australia and Wetland Care Australia, for conservation projects in Australia.
The vision at Banrock Station is for a fully sustainable ecosystem where the natural environment can co-exist alongside a vineyard enterprise that produces outstanding full flavoured Australian wines. From the Good Earth, Fine Wine.
In the Riverland region of South Australia abundant sunshine dominates, giving the grapes the opportunity to achieve maximum ripeness, and resulting in generous full-flavoured wine styles.
These wines are easy-drinking, rich Australian-style wines that can be enjoyed when still relatively young.
The user-friendly climate and deep soils allow the wine world’s classic grape varieties of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Semillon to thrive.
The vineyard is a vital link between the surrounding native vegetation and wetlands. Importantly, Banrock Station makes certain that viticultural practices have no impact on the natural environment.
For this reason, Banrock Station has undertaken a number of important initiatives to ensure the sustained wellbeing of the property, including its 600 acres of vineyard that sit among 3,600 acres of natural bushland and wetland.
The vineyard features “state of the art” trellising, soil conservation techniques, minimal spray programs, and computer controlled irrigation scheduling.
Probes in the vineyard monitor the computer controlled drip irrigation system by measuring the amount of moisture in the root zone. The system eliminates seepage into the water table by controlling the volume of water in the soil profile. This controlling process prevents any leeching of salts back into the river system, therefore maintaining healthy water quality by preventing the build up of salt.
The strategy of close-planting the vineyard, combined with vertical shoot positioning, reduces the impact of reflected heat from the ground, while allowing the right amount of fruit exposure during ripening.
The special care Banrock Station takes of the property clearly results in benefits. The quality of fruit and the resultant wines have received outstanding acceptance and accolades from the world marketplace. Further, the hard work and care that creates a model vineyard also benefits the environment – a win-win situation for all involved.
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Banrock Station Wetlands
Banrock Station Enviro DayPhone: 8583 0299 Fax: 8583 0288 Address: Holmes Road, Kingston On Murray, 5331. Email: corporate@brlhardy.com.au
