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Journeys End Vineyards are located in South Australia, a region noted for producing sunshine in a glass, wines with superb, ripe fruit flavours that the world has fallen in love with
Whilst Journeys End Vineyards has a traditional Australian spread of wine styles, the wines do not come from the same vineyard site. There are of course good reasons for this, and they form the basis of Journeys End’s winemaking philosophy. Australia now has sufficient acreage planted, in a diverse range of sites to be able to confidently say that one district produces better quality grapes on a consistent basis than another district, and furthermore within each district there are specific, small, discreet sites that produce exceptional wines from only one grape variety. This is the notion of terroir, the search for the best sites suited to a specific grape variety. It is these very specific sites that Journeys End Vineyards is concerned with.
Having located the right piece of terroir, skilled vineyard management is then paramount, there can be no denying that 90% of the quality of any wine is made in the vineyard. Quite simply, great grapes make great wine. In order to achieve the desired flavour profiles of each grape variety, yields are kept low, irrigation is minimal and vineyards are managed in an environmentally sustainable manner with minimum use of chemicals. Uncompromising dedication to this philosophy means that Journeys End Vineyards can consistently offer wine lovers maximum flavour for their dollar.
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Journeys End winemaker, Ben Riggs likes to run a number of different types of ferments, which also gives him additional blending options. In the winemaking process, there are no fixed rules as to the amount of new or old oak that is used. French, American, Russian or other. Each season demands a different proportion of new and old oak and different degrees of charring or even hot water bending of the staves. Consequently, a variety of top quality barrels are selected to enhance the fruit of each wine and add further layers of complexity.
Journeys End wines are made to improve with bottle age, not just to keep. The maturation period will depend on the wine style chosen, and the cellaring condition that the wines are kept under. The suggested cellaring time always errs on the side of caution, and it is recommended that wines are drunk whilst the fruit is still alive, rather than wait for a long period only to find that the tertiary flavours have overshadowed the fruit and that the distinctive qualities of terroir are difficult to distinguish.
A graduate of Roseworthy (in 1985), Journeys End winemaker Ben Riggs has made a major contribution to regional wine industry activities having served ten years as a board member of McLaren Vale Winemakers Inc. Three of those years saw Ben in the role of Chairman. He also chaired the McLaren Vale Wine Show over a five-year period. As a winemaker, Ben achieved Bushing King status in 2000. This unique award recognises the maker of the best wine at the McLaren Vale Wine Show.
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Wines made by Ben have achieved considerable Wine Show Awards success including winning the first two Great Australian Shiraz Challenges. More than 20 trophies have been won and in 1993, Wirra Wirra 1991 Angelus was declared the winner of the Sydney International Top 100 wine awards. Ben has had 21 years of winemaking experience, with the last 14 years being at Wirra Wirra where he made such great wines as RSW Shiraz and Angelus, which are without doubt Australian benchmark wines.
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Ben Riggs has also presided over 8 international vintages in countries such as USA (Napa Valley), France (Bordeaux and Southern France), Greece and Italy. His extensive experience with a broad range of wine styles gives Ben the unique position of being a true Master Winemaker. Ben continues to consult to some of Australia’s most distinguished producers, including Penny’s Hill, Pertaringa, Geoff Hardy, Tatiarra, Coriole and Cazal Viel in the south of France. As well as this, Ben makes wine on his own behalf under the Mr.Riggs label utilising grapes from his own vineyard at Piebald Gully and old vines vineyards within the McLaren Vale district.
Ben insists on maintaining the high quality and competitive pricing on his wines and consequently the wines can never be mass-produced. Journeys End Vineyards are content to remain a niche player in the Great Australian Wine Industry.
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