"Estate" wine, what does it mean?

February 07, 2018

What you're drinking when you buy an "Estate" wine. 

So you may spot the phrase “Estate Grown” or “Estate made” or “Estate Grown and made” in a winery’s marketing or even on the wine label itself and ask yourself….

What the heck does that actually mean?! And who really cares anyway!

If you’re anything like me you probably never really cared 2 hoots about it, but there is something a little deeper to it once you scratch below the surface.

Imagine some of the oldest, most exclusive and estate wineries in France, Chateau Margaux,  Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Chateau Grillet and Chateau d’Yquem. These are wineries which have been around for centuries and have wine prices to match their history!

These wineries for the most part have exclusively sourced wine grapes from their own vineyards (or at least the vineyards they run) to make their wine. And this is what makes an “Estate” Winery.

Why would this make any difference?

Having strict control over the vineyard before the vines even begin to shoot in the Spring and a tiny inflorescence (bunch of grapes) visible in the vineyard means they are not relying on another grower/manager to provide fruit for their wines.

It’s a clear choice those French wineries made centuries ago to maintain absolute quality and pride in the hundreds of vintages of their existence. They are held 100% accountable for the final bottle of wine and aren’t willing to compromise at any stage along the way. Be it vine pruning, canopy management, health of the soil, vines and workers all the way to and through the winery. Harvesting at the critical time, fastidious winemaking; destemming, fermentation, pressing and barrel maturation and onto the bottling line is what makes an estate winery one to pay attention to and consider adding to your cellar.

It’s something we are extremely grateful for here at Atze’s Corner, to have the privilege of being an estate winery. The blood, sweat and tears of our ancestors who made the journey to Australia in the 19^th Century and the skills and determination they passed down through the generations to my Mum and Dad, Barb and John have set us up to be in this fortunate position.

 Having some amazing vineyards within our family and now in later years a winery on our estate means the wine we make is a direct result of all the hard work, patience and attention to detail that is put in during the entire year.

And one that will hopefully leave a legacy of making world class wines for generation to come. All owned and made by our family, right here in one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions, the Barossa Valley.

So I hope when you’re next browsing the shelves, looking at a wine list or buying wine online you consider what it takes and means to label a wine “Estate grown” and if you choose to pour one in your glass, a wine that has a story to match is stunning flavour and depth.

If you’d like to learn more about the Atze’s Corner Estate simply add you email address to the form at the top right hand side of this blog post and we’ll send you out some more information as well as some great deals on our estate range.

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