Growers
The relationship between growers and Penfolds is an important one. Growers are given every opportunity to improve their knowledge and refine their vineyar management skills.
Penfolds contracts well over 200 independent growers, many of whom have supplied the company for generations. In the past, all growers were paid for their crop on a $/per tonne basis. Today, Penfolds rewards its growers for their patience and commitment to quality-focused viticulture, forming the elite Penfolds Grange Growers Club, for whom payments are now made on a per hectare basis, 'rain, hail or shine'. Bonuses are offered if the fruit exceeds expectations.
The majority of Penfolds growers in fact are located in the Barossa Valley. One such person is John Kalleske, whose great grandfather established the family vineyard at Greenock on the north western edge of the Barossa Valley. This 40 hectare (100 acre) vineyard, mainly dry grown, is planted on sandy loams over red clay. Peppered with ironstone, the soils are rich in nutrients ideal for the production of high quality Shiraz. Optimum fruit quality is associated with small, highly flavoured berries and high skin-to-juice ratios. This can be achieved only by creating a balanced, well-managed vineyard where yields are kept low.
During the year John Kalleske and his son Kym are provided with advice and technical support by Penfolds viticulturalists and grower liaison officers. Penfolds' input covers a range of issues from soil and vine management to employing the latest innovations in technology. Penfolds' aim is to encourage the development of the best available fruit by providing the best possible support and advice to its growers.
Vineyard assessment and monitoring are vitally important. Premium vineyards are visited regularly at pruning time, flowering and veraison. Penfolds' viticulturalists, winemakers and growers walk each block together, discussing its attributes and potential. During the growing season they look at growing tips, lateral growth and shoot length. They also observe periderm development, leaf condition and fruit exposure.
Close to harvest, each vineyard block is likely to be assessed several times by winemakers who scrutinise grape quality and flavour development, and monitor chemical residues, while grower liaison officers watch for potential disease and predict harvest dates. Understanding the quality and variability of each vineyard block enables winemakers to match and batch fruit for specific Penfolds wines.
Over a period of time both growers and Penfolds are able to predict vineyard performance within the context of seasonal conditions. Growers are given grade level targets, an internal alphanumerical grading system. A-1 Grade fruit is likely to find its way into Penfolds Grange.The fruit at this level must be sublime, with superb colour, flavour and tannin ripeness.
Paul Georgiadis, who is in charge of looking after Penfolds' growers, maintains that you can recognise a top vineyard by its appearance and by the look and taste of its fruit. "We look beyond Baumé, pH and acidity. The fruit that scores the highest points invariably has grapes with concentration, richness, chewiness, and plenty of sweetness and flavour length. The spit test is usually a very good indicator. If it's got the colour of dark purple ink, it's a winner."
The relationship between growers and Penfolds is an important one. Growers are given every opportunity to improve their knowledge and refine their vineyard management skills. Field days, regional workshops, and a range of planned feedback sessions are offered throughout the year. The use of field digital technology has allowed Penfolds to further improve the capture of information and feed it back to growers.
Belonging to the Penfolds Grange Growers Club, or the Penfolds Yattarna Growers Club are the ultimate accolades for those growers who are able to achieve the highest fruit quality. Aside from the financial rewards, they belong to an elite group of growers who take pride in producing, on a regular basis, some of Australia's finest wine grapes. While refinement and hard work in the vineyard can reap dividends for growers, vineyard site is the tangible yet enigmatic wild card. The late Max Gersch, a veteran Grange grower, once said, "If we all knew the answer to making such high quality fruit, everyone would be growing grapes for Grange".