Marius' winemakers are always striving to improve the quality of the fruit from their exquisite single vineyard and the grapes are now sequentially hand-picked from the various sections, over a period of 3-4 weeks, to ensure that the fruit is as close as possible to perfect at the time of harvest.

Marius Wines are now made at winemaker Mark Day's boutique winery at Blewitt Springs. Small open fermenters, traditional basket pressing and extended barrel fermentation are the tools of his craft. Mark is an integral part of our success.

The Marius vineyard, which looks out across the McLaren Vale / Willunga basin and out to the Gulf of St. Vincent is blessed with a mild temperate climate and complex ironstone soils. The precious grapegrowing parcel is situated on rising ground to the south-east of McLaren Vale township, ideally positioned to take advantage of both the maritime climatic influence and the cooling gully breezes on summer evenings. The vineyard is small, being only four acres of Shiraz.

The soils range from clay through ironstone and limestone to alluvial gravels. The philosophy at Marius is to grow flavour and produce powerful wines. This is achieved by passionate and fastidious vineyard practices combining to produce low yields of small bunches of flavoursome small berries with a high skin to juice ratio.

All fruit is hand picked and this is done sequentially over approximately three weeks to ensure that all the grapes are as near as possible to perfect when picked. Mid-rows are not cultivated or tilled, the natural grasses and weeds are slashed, no pesticides are used and the industrious worm population is growing rapidly.

Whilst respectful of the tradition of growing classic European grape varietals in the Barossa Valley, he believes the climate offers the perfect location for new varietals to be introduced. Following extensive research Tempranillo, Graciano, Montepulciano, Zinfandel and Albarino were selected and planted on the family property between 1999 and 2002. The Tscharke portfolio consists of four wines based on these varietals. The philosophy behind the Tscharke range is to produce wines which are stylistically distinctive, that capture the warmth and richness of the Barossa, whilst offering ripe but balanced fruit with excellent varietal definition.

Damien is completely hands on throughout the process - from research through to planting the vines, vineyard management and winemaking. As a result of his work with alternative varietals Damien was the recipient of the prestigious 2004 Peter Olson Fellowship for Innovation and Outstanding Performance in agriculture.

All of the Tscharke Wines are estate grown and sourced from the Tscharke Vineyards located in Seppeltsfield and Marananga of the Barossa Valley. These vineyards have been farmed by the Tscharke family for generations. The grape varieties chosen for the Tscharke range were pioneered and established by Damien Tscharke, a vision of his to produce a range of wine styles grown from nontraditional grape varietals of Australia.

The wines give Damien the opportunity to express the terroir of the Tscharke Vineyards and viticultural practices used to grow the alternative grapes varieties. The boutique winery is situated on the Marananga Vineyard property situated along the Seppeltsfield road in Marananga. Damien uses open fermenters, a basket press and French and Hungarian oak to help hand craft the unique range of wine styles.

Albarino is a Spanish varietal traditionally grown in the cool wind swept corner of North West Spain and Portugal. Thick skinned, naturally acidic and an early ripening aromatic style, winemaker Damien Tscharke was convinced it would perform incredibly well at the Marananga vineyard. The beauty of Tempranillo is it's suited to a range of climatic conditions. In the warm conditions of the Barossa Valley it shows its ability to produce rich bold wines with excellent acid tannin balance. Like Tempranillo, Graciano is another Spanish varietal, traditionally blended with Tempranillo to produce classic wines. Zinfandel's traditional home is California where it often produces heady powerful wines. The key to this variety is harnessing the primary perfumed, spicy brambly characters whilst avoiding over extraction and jammy flavours. Try this with a juicy chargrilled t-bone steak!

Metala was the creation of the winemaker Brian Dolan, whose son Nigel is current custodian of the famous brand. Metala has a unique place in the history of the Australian wine industry, the fruit sourced from a single vineyard in Langhorne Creek, from vines first planted in 1891. The famous Metala vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz in almost equal proportions, and consequently the grand reds of Metala have since inception been a profound blend of these two great varieties.

The cherished Metala blocks are located in the original Bremer River flood plains upon rich alluvial soils, lined with large stands of river red-gum which is the environmental element thought to add the unique eucalypt character to the region’s wines. The river floods during winter, providing natural flood irrigation to the vines. Wine had been made in the stone cellars at Metala from the late1890’s until 1952, when Brian Dolan winemaker at the time, conceived the idea of Metala becoming an estate wine and in 1959 sketched out the Metala label.

Bryan’s son Nigel Dolan is now the Head Red Winemaker for Beringer Blass and continues the tradition of producing this iconic label. Aside from the big companies, Metala also provides fruit for a number if smaller boutique labels including Brothers in Arms, Oddfellows and Killibinbin.

The internationally much-loved Metala is a dense, dark colour with intense plum, cherry and blackcurrant fruit character, supported by the hints of eucalyptus and licorice that are typical of the Langhorne Creek region. On the palate Metala's great reds are full-bodied and rich, with wonderful, dense blackberry fruit coupled with substantial but soft tannins, and excellent, excellent finish

The original vines were planted on single wire trellises, which was at the time, rather a cutting edge viticultural practice and nearly unheard of for the region. Though they have since been retrellised, the vines are still carefully hand pruned and harvested. Their age ensures a natural balance of fruit and leaves on each low-yielding vine.

Tatachilla's vineyards are scattered amongst the sloping hills and tapered basin of McLaren Vale. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are king, and form the backbone of Tatachilla's collective of crafted, silky textured wines. The abundant variety of soils encourage a kaleidoscope of flavours, whilst the cooling ocean air and rolling gully winds cool the sun-warmed grapes, allowing them to reach their full flavour potential without over-ripening. The influences intertwine to develop fruit that creates wines silky in texture, supple in the mouth and vibrant with rich fruit flavours.

The McLaren Vale's rich tapestry of soils veer from red soil over limestone near the Gulf St Vincent to ironstone in the heart of the Vale. The bright patchwork of olive groves, avocado orchards and rows of vines impart a Mediterranean flavour to the grapes. A small, diverse community of growers, winemakers and providers –rooted in McLaren Vale's heritage– trumpet the region's reputation as one renowned not only for its wines, but also its local produce and fine food.

The young and talented French winemaker, Fanchon Ferrandi, is leading Tatachilla to its next chapter. With a sweeping international perspective free from cultural rules, her winemaking essence lies in integrating innovation and technology with a healthy regard for the vineyard. Matching innovation with a respect for the past, Fanchon crafts wines which truly express the rich silken fruit qualities that wear the thumbprint of the McLaren Vale.

Tatachilla wines wear the thumbprint of McLaren Vale. The red wines of the McLaren Vale range exude the intensity of regional Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot with the velvety touch unique to McLaren Vale. The award-winning flagship Foundation Shiraz, sourced from low yielding McLaren Vale vines, epitomises the richness and concentration of superbly ripened McLaren Vale fruit. The Keystone range of Tatachilla pairs innovative winemaking techniques with traditionalist grape and wine styles to create succulent, food-friendly wines that evoke the Mediterranean energy of McLaren Vale.

Tatachilla's dynamic duos of Shiraz, married with the aromatic Viognier, and Cabernet, woven with the earthy Sangiovese, constitute succulent innovative wines blended in the modern Mediterranean style. The lightly oaked Chardonnay and the McLaren Vale classic, Grenache Shiraz, are vibrant food-friendly favourites. Partners Cabernet Shiraz and Growers Semillon Sauvignon Blanc are bursting with the fresh fruit vitality and easy drinking consistency of premium fruit sourced from South Australian vineyards. Tatachilla is well recognised for its full flavoured, lifted white wines and its championing of emerging varietals such as Sangiovese, Arneis, Barbera, Viognier and Vermentino.