Partner with Us

Partnering With Local Growers

To source the finest grape, we need to look at their very humble beginnings. Our growers are experts in their field and control the quality of their vines through effective vineyard management.

The first step is to plant strong and hearty rootstock vines in the richest soil. Rootstock vines are basically vines that have been grafted onto the roots of a similar species of grapes. By grafting various vines on healthy and sturdy roots, you can ensure the vine will grow into healthy, robust vines that are more resilient to pests and disease. The rootstock vines are carefully tended until they are mature enough to produce the much-coveted grapes. The grapes are expertly handpicked and sorted. They are then crushed in small batches to maximize the quality before being gently basket pressed and aged in premium French oak barrels. The result is the outstanding perfection of Cale’s Gate Wines.

Starting a vineyard is an enormous challenge. If you’re lucky enough to find fertile land for the vines, you then need to research which grapes can be grown in that particular region. Add to that the cost of setting up the trellises, buying healthy rootstock vines and waiting for them to grow, it can take several years before you start harvesting enough grapes to make your wines.

Australian farmers have never had it easy and this has made it difficult for grape growers across the country. They often need to deal with adverse weather conditions and even when they can achieve bumper crops, they still need to be able to sell their grapes to winemakers. In times of oversupply, many winemakers took advantage of this to drive the price of grapes down and this prompted the 2005 Senate Inquiry to ensure growers and farmers could negotiate a fair price for their crops.

Cael’s Gate understands the plight of the farmer and supporting local grape growers. We’ve partnered with some of the best local growers in the region and pay a fair market price for the grapes that go into our wines. When a community works together, everyone succeeds.

We’re always looking at partnering with quality growers so please, contact us today so we can work together at creating quality wines.