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Chalmers Heathcote Vineyard
  The Vineyards

VINEYARD TECHNIQUES & SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE

The techniques employed in the vineyard to ensure the quality of the fruit are extensive.  The process begins with pruning, which is all done by hand and using varied techniques depending on the particular requirement of the variety.  Trellising methods are also varied according to variety however most of the fruit grown for the Chalmers label is grown on traditional VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis (single bi-lateral cordon in Euston and unilateral arched cane pruned at Heathcote) with three pairs of foliage wires that are lifted by hand at precise times throughout the growing season to expose the fruit to sunlight for ripening and flavour development.

Yields are kept at a low level by the combination of a number of techniques.  Shoot thinning, bunch thinning and very carefully measured and implemented irrigation regimes keep the crops at the right level maintaining a perfect balance between root system, foliage and fruit in the vine.

A remote solar powered weather station regularly radios back to a server, readings of temperature, wind speed and direction to allow precise monitoring of environmental conditions.  Remote solar moisture probes throughout the vineyard send measurements of moisture at varying depths back to a central computer every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day ensuring that not a drop extra water is used than is necessary to produce quality wine grapes. Irrigation systems have been designed to enable all irrigation to be applied only during the lowest evaporation periods of the day and night.  Liberal application of organically certified, composted cow manure not only encourages natural aeration of the soil, by encouraging earthworm populations, but also increases organic carbon content in the soil, reducing water requirements.

In all, the years of experience in growing diverse varieties of grapes utilising many methods both traditional and experimental, has resulted in high-tech vineyards employing only the finest techniques to produce the highest quality and most expressive fruit achievable while leaving the smallest ecological footprint possible.

CHALMERS HEATHCOTE VINEYARD,
COLBINABBIN VIC

In 2008 the Chalmers family purchased an 80 hectare property on the Mt Camel range near Colbinabbin in the GI region of Heathcote in Victoria.  The property had previously been used for cropping so it has been developed into a vineyard from scratch with careful rootstock selection to control vigour and ultra high density planting at 4550 vines per hectare. 
The Heathcote Vineyard is an east facing sloped site comprised of the famous Cambrian soils of the area which will be perfect territory for growing the Chalmers Italian varieties.  Expect to see Sangiovese make a reappearance in the range as well as the current varieties being produced.  Other varieties that have been established at Heathcote include Greco di Tufo, Lambrusco Maestri and Moscato Giallo.  The first vines were planted in September 2009 with the inaugural Heathcote wines to be produced from the 2011 vintage.

CHALMERS VINEYARD, EUSTON NSW.

This is the original vineyard where the Chalmers range was grown and will continue to be the principal source of fruit until the 2011 vintage.  It is on the banks of the Murray River in south western NSW in the GI region “Murray Darling”.  The Chalmers family had owned this property since the 1930’s when Bruce’s father and uncle came here as wheat and sheep farmers.  Bruce had lived on the property all his life until 2008 and from a young age saw horticulture, in particular viticulture, as the way forward for utilising the acres of arable sandy-loam overlaying an ancient limestone bedrock.

In the seventies Bruce and his wife Jenni began to establish a corner of the family property, which Bruce had purchased from his uncle, and after some years of market gardening they planted their first patch of vineyard in 1985, and went on to establish Chalmers Nurseries in 1989, quickly growing into Australia’s busiest nursery.  During the 90’s the vineyard grew from 20 acres to 500 and now the Chalmers vineyards amount to over 1600 acres encompassing over 80 varieties and 150 clones.  While only a small percentage of this vineyard produces the fruit for the Chalmers drops, all of the vines are tended with the same intensive and immaculate care.

Chalmers Vineyard is an industry leader in sustainable practices and water efficiency in warm climate viticulture.  The vineyard uses less than half of the regional average irrigation water.

Chalmers Vineyard Euston was acquired by Macquarie Bank as it’s first ever viticultural investment in March 2008 and continues to be run under the guidance of consultant viticulturist Bruce Chalmers.