Amanda Longworth, Barossa Grape and Wine Association
The Barossa has made the moving story of its old vine heritage and vine-planting settlers a defining aspect of its regional identity.
Amanda Longworth - Barossa Grape and Wine Association
The Barossa has made the moving story of its old vine heritage and vine-planting settlers a defining aspect of its regional identity. The establishment of the Barossa Old Vine Charter in 2009 captured the support of producers and the imagination of importers, and educators. We will hear about the origins of old vines in Barossa, how the movement grew, and the rewards of their Old Vine Charter for their producers and region.
Download for more information about the Barossa Old Vine Charter
Antonio Capaldo
Now heading up his family winery Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania, Antonio’s first career was in global finance and strategy with Lazards and McKinsey.
Antonio Capaldo
Now heading up his family winery Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania, Antonio’s first career was in global finance and strategy with Lazards and McKinsey. He has come to see old vine heritage as critical for his family winery, and for premium Italian wine. Mindful of the challenges of collective activity and implementing global standards, he sees a grassroots ‘network effect’ emerging among the advocates for Old Vine Heritage that can be harnessed to create a new type of global wine category. Feudi di San Gregorio is a founding sponsor of the Old Vine Conference.
Jean-Marc Lafage
Best known today for his transformational development of Domaine Lafage and Château Saint Roch, Jean-Marc is a noted oenologist and researcher with global experience and perspective.
Jean-Marc Lafage
Best known today for his transformational development of Domaine Lafage and Château Saint Roch, Jean-Marc is a noted oenologist and researcher with global experience and perspective. He successfully forged a new vocation for the endangered old vines of Roussillon, as the demand for its traditional sweet wine dwindled. His dry red wines from old-vine Grenache are universally acclaimed, and he has shown how old vineyards can remain at the heart of a thriving, globally exported wine business. His insights on the fundamental genetic value of old vines and varieties are informed by his work with the viticultural research organisation INRA.
Juan Carlos Sancha
Juan Carlos Sancha has been involved in wine for more than 25 years. He has worked in several wineries in La Rioja, and he also teaches at the University of La Rioja.
Juan Carlos Sancha
Juan Carlos Sancha has been involved in wine for more than 25 years. He has worked in several wineries in La Rioja, and he also teaches at the University of La Rioja. He also consults to several wineries in other parts of Spain. In 2008, he started his own project to rescue and make wine from minority grape varieties from various areas of Rioja Alta. His approach is informed by organic and sustainable viticulture, and he seeks naturally healthy vines in tune with their environment. In his own project, he has eliminated the use of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers in the vineyards with the goal, as he says “of restoring the vineyards to their natural complexity and ability to fight diseases, and thereby promote the proper and organic growth of the wines”.
https://juancarlossancha.com/
Guillermo Barbier
Guillermo Barbier trained as an engineer. His family had owned old vineyards in Vistalba since the 1960s.
Guillermo Barbier
Guillermo Barbier trained as an engineer. His family had owned old vineyards in Vistalba since the 1960s. (Planted in 1924 by the original Tuscan settlers, these vineyards had been parcelled with sensitive awareness of site and terroir, and thrived.) In the 1990s, Guillermo felt the pull of the family vineyards and decided to get more closely involved. He collaborated over a decade with leading wineries, including Cheval dos Andes, to supply them with his old-vine grapes. In the meantime, he set about learning viticulture, while continuing to work as an engineer. In 2007 he founded his own estate based solely on these old family vineyards. The old-vine wines, made by the acclaimed winemaker Juan Manuel Gonzàles, are widely recognised as among the finest in the country, and awarded ‘First Growth’ status by Tim Atkin MW.
Derek Mossman Knapp
A Toronto native, Derek Mossman Knapp originally went to Chile to ski. He found snow, love and wine and decided to stay.
Derek Mossman Knapp
A Toronto native, Derek Mossman Knapp originally went to Chile to ski. He found snow, love and wine and decided to stay. In 2001 he co-founded The Garage Wine Company with his wife Pilar and oenologist Dr. Alvaro Peña. That project grew from small batch experiments to become an important part of Chile’s dynamic artisanal wine scene. Derek is a founding member of MOVI, (Movement for Independent Vintners), and is part of the Vigno Collective, which showcases old vine Carignan in Maule. A vintner of conviction, he says, “In these times, it is important to stand for what you believe in, and more importantly to build the kind of business you believe in.” Garage Wine Co. revives old vineyards in marginalized communities to make wines of singular and high quality. As he says, “[the wines] need to command a price that allows for proper farming…the long-term pratices of regenerative farming not only make for better fruit and more flavourful wine, but..become a force for financial, community and environmental good.”