Page 33 - OurStories-2022_Preview

OUR STORY: BALNAVE | 33

▲ INDUSTRY BOOST: Doug Balnaves with a bottle of
the family’s top drop, the Tally Reserve Cabernet
Sauvignon, which is a nod to his early years as a
shearer.

They recall a good example of this when he
wanted them to handpick their chardonnay
blocks, despite the fact they owned two
mechanical harvesters at the time.
Doug says Pete Bissell was one to never lose ▲ INDUSTRY BOOST: Balnaves of Coonawarra viticulturist Pete Balnaves manages 18 vineyard sites across
an argument so he did a trial, making one batch Coonawarra and Wrattonbully. He is excited about how agtech advances will help the industry.
from hand picked grapes and another that had
been mechanically harvested from the same
area. effort in pushing the middle up,” he said. Diverse markets
“If we could pick the difference it was big and “We spent a lot of time and effort in really
Mum immediately said ‘oh I like that’ so the flattening the triangle and I think that shows in the About 70pc of the wines Balnaves of
next year it was all hand picked,” Pete Balnaves range of high quality wines we have been able to Coonawarra bottle each year are consumed in
said. produce.” Australia with about 60 percent of these sales
He says a big advantage of having the Peter says the model has changed from the through the cellar door.
vertically integrated business has been the early days, when a portion of the fruit from each Kirsty says it has been interesting throughout
valuable feedback they receive from the winery vineyard they managed was processed through the years to see their customers’ interests change
on the quality of the fruit. This has allowed the winery, to now focusing more on their own from selling wine based on the winemaker on
them to hone their viticultural techniques from label. the label to consumers having a more grassroots
pruning to irrigation scheduling and even “We only use about 30 per cent of what we interest.
trialling new varieties. grow, with the rest of the fruit sold on,” he said. “In the 1990s when we opened, winemakers
“We had to make a conscious decision In 2020 Pete Bissell retired and Jacinta Jenkins were like rock stars - everyone wanted to know
whether we spent more time and money on - who had been Pete’s protege for two years who made your wine - whereas now people are
sharpening the pyramid, so either putting a little previously - stepped up as the senior winemaker. more interested in how the grapes are grown and
bit of fruit up as a very high grade, or making She has continued to produce wines of a very where it has grown,” she said.
the triangle a little bit fatter and putting a lot of similar style. Kirsty says they are fortunate they did not have a

LATE last year when Balnaves of Coonawarra Luckily after having part of her lung removed
chose the Royal Flying Doctor Service as the Ellie - who is working in the family’s cellar door
charity to donate their next quarter of cellar door when home from university - has made a full
tasting fees to, Kirsty Balnaves had no idea that recovery.
her daughter Ellie would need the service just a But in appreciation for the RFDS’s care, the
few weeks later. Balnaves family extended the period of collecting
In January, after becoming very ill, the 20-year- the tasting fee for the vital service through to the
old was admitted to Mount Gambier Hospital and end of June.
then quickly airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre. “We supported the Cancer Council for a quarter
Ellie was diagnosed with necrotic pneumonia - a because Mum died of cancer and then we
condition that could have claimed her life. thought it would be good to support men’s health
Kirsty says the RFDS provided Ellie with so we donated to Movember, no one is upset
tremendous care and reassured her on the flight about paying the $5 for a tasting, especially when
to Adelaide. they know where it is going,” she said.
“She (Ellie) had to make lots of decisions Balnaves of Coonawarra have smashed their
without any support in the hospital because expected $10,000 target and will be handing
GOOD CAUSE: Balnaves of Coonawarra has raised
we couldn’t be with her because of COVID across more than $15,000 to the RFDS.
more than $15,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service
restrictions but then when she got to the “You live down here and think you won’t need it
from donating the proceeds from its wine tasting for
ambulance and the RFDS plane the nurse held because we are a relatively populated place but the first six months of the year. It is a cause close to
her hand and made her feel comfortable, she we have used it twice and know so many others Ellie Pollard and her mother Kirsty Balnaves after Ellie
knew she was in the right place,” she said. that have used it too,” she said. was airlifted to Adelaide earlier this year.