About Us
We discovered and fell in love with Lady Bay in 1987. The rugged beauty of the property and the South West Fleurieu coast captured our imagination.Our property is dominated by an imposing granite backdrop with 360 degree views of undulating pasture and spectacular coastline. Many evenings are spent atop that hiill with glass of wine in hand watching the sun sweep the horizon from Carrickalinga to Lady Bay before sinking behind Kangaroo Island.In 1996 we planted our vineyard in an attempt to sustain the wine consumption of family and friends. These beneficiaries have always been, and still are, an integral part of our vineyard from planting the first rootlings to picking the grapes each vintage and of course drinking the rewards of the labour..
Our Area
The natural environment surrounding us is both spectacular and ecologically significant. Our property is sheltered by ‘Great Gorge’, the grand gateway through which the Yankalilla River passes before meeting the sea.Lady Bay is a secluded beach and reef flanked by heritage listed sand dunes. Our land, the River and Lady Bay are home to rare species of plants and animals which we are working with Landcare partners to protect.Our vines grow on envied soil less than five hundred metres from the beach and only ten metres above sea level; a quintessential ‘maritime’ climate. The sea provides a moderating effect; the nights are not too cold and the days are not so hot. The grapes enjoy optimum growing conditions.Although a cooler climate, we generally pick earlier than warmer regions like nearby McLaren Vale - a blessing in the last couple of years as we had our fruit off before heatwaves struck.Right from the beginning, our vineyard was identified as producing benchmark fruit of exceptional quality and unique style. Our fruit is in high demand with most of it contracted by other winemakers to add complexity and elegance to some of Australia’s iconic and most revered wines.Each vintage we handpick the most intensely flavoured, complex and interesting parcels of fruit for limited release under the Lady Bay Vineyard label. Our wines are thoughtfully handcrafted to reflect the distinctive flavours and cool climate elegance unique to our single vineyard..
Grape Varieties
WHITEViognier is grown in our single boutique vineyard. We grafted half of our original Sauvignon Blanc block to this far more exciting and rewarding Rhone variety.Pinot Gris is sourced exclusively from a small, single vineyard nearby. The site is higher in elevation and enjoys an even cooler climate than our own vineyard.REDShiraz is sourced from two blocks at opposite ends of our own boutique family vineyard. Shiraz from the 'Top Block' (higher in elevation) was planted in 2000 and grows on a more complex sandy loam with granite and ironstone. The wine crafted from here displays intense black fruit, licorice, spice and elegant structure. It is consistently ranked 'A Grade' and has recently inspired us to produce a Limited Release wine in exceptional vintages.Shiraz from the 'Bottom Block' was planted in 1996 and grows mostly on black, cracking 'Bay of Biscay' clay. The fruit displays plump, ripe mulberry jam and blueberry flavours. Grapes from this block are usually also ranked, 'A Grade'. Wine made from this fruit makes a rich, balanced and textured base for some of our wines and the wines of other producers who purchase it every year for their very best wines.Cabernet Sauvignon has been our quiet achiever. The vines span the widest section through the middle of our single vineyard with several different soil types and undulation. Each vintage we walk every row and identify areas best suited to making our aperitif style Rose and our full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. In recent vintages, the fruit from some of these sections has been so exciting that we've blended it with Top Shiraz to craft a Limited Release blend.Coming soon...Tempranillo! We grafted the other half of our Sauvignon Blanc block to this racy Spanish red variety. After endless varietal research (tasting mostly) we settled on Tempranillo for it's drought tolerance (now a reality in all climates), it's suitability to our location, our Winemaker's experience with the variety and with an intention to produce an earlier-earlier drinking, lighter bodied style of wine to complement our current range. Inspired by the likes of some lovely Clare Valley versions we had tried, we ripped out possiblly one of the most boring of grape varieties in Sauv Blanc, crossed our fingers and hoped the Temp would feel at home. So far things are looking good - we picked it for the first time in 2010 and are currently experimenting to discover what Lady Bay Tempranillo is all about... watch this space!.
Our Brands
Lady Bay Vineyard ViognierLady Bay Vineyard Pinot GrisLady Bay Vineyard Cabernet RoseLady Bay Vineyard ShirazLady Bay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon...Lady Bay Vineyard Tempranillo
Awards
GOLD - 09 Royal Melbourne Wine ShowGOLD - 09 Australian Boutique Wine AwardsGOLD - 09 Rutherglen Wine ShowSILVER - 09 Decanter World Wine AwardsSILVER - 09 Australian Cool Climate Wine ShowSILVER - 09 Cowra Wine ShowSILVER - 09 London International Wine & Spirit CompSILVER - 09 McLaren Vale Wine ShowSILVER - 08 Decanter World Wine AwardsSILVER - 08 Cowra Wine ShowBRONZE - 09 Hong Kong International Wine CompBRONZE - 09 London International Wine & Spirit CompBRONZE - 09 Decanter World Wine AwardsBRONZE - 09 Royal Sydney Wine ShowBRONZE - 09 McLaren Vale Wine Show.
Cellar Door Hours
Not at the moment :-( it's just the Vineyard.Our wines are made by Mike Brown of Gemtree Vineyards (McLaren Vale) at Kangarilla Road Winery in McLaren Flat.We hope in the near future to offer tastings of our wines and tours of our property by appointment to our Mail Order Members. We also have plans to hold Member dinners and other events at Lady Bay and other locations...Join our Mailing List and become a Member via our website to ensure you're kept informed about special offers and events! Members also receive discounts and free delivery Australia-wide.www.ladybay.com.au or email sales@ladybay.com.au.
Phone
0413185771
Additional Details
If you're visiting our region, our wines can also be found for sale in local wine retail outlets.All of the best pubs and restaurants in the Southern Fleurieu have at least some of our wines on their wine lists and usually by the glass. If you like what you try and would like to place an order with us - don't hesitate to call - we can deliver to your holiday accomodation or arrange to send your wine back home.Call Jane on 0413 185 771.
