Joadja Vineyard is the oldest in the Southern Highlands

Our vineyard is planted on volcanic soils at an elevation of 750 m, in the cool climate of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Warm days and cool nights allow the grapes to ripen slowly retaining  flavour and freshness. Typically we pick our fruit from mid-March through to early May.

The varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon,  Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec and newly grafted  Pinot Gris.

VINTAGE REPORT 2012

Heavy rain throughout the Summer have created problems for all vineyards on the East Coast of Australia.

Very few Vineyards are dry enough under foot to use Mechanical Harvesters, so grape picking by hand has been the only way to harvest this seasons crop. With all the rain timing of the picking and finding enough pickers has been a challenge. Harvest at Joadja started on March 10 2012.

An emergency cry for help was sent out to all our wonderful customers for volunteer pickers for that day and within an hour we had a signed up team of ready pickers for the Saturday.

It was a great day, hard work but critical of course and the resultant wine is fermenting away looking better each day. Thanks to everyone who helped, to the locals and to the pickers who came up from all over Sydney. We also have to thank our friend Sylvie, our Winemaker friend from France who sent us the BEST most modern yeasts to help with our white wines this year. The yeasts are specially bred to enhance the fruit characters in the wines from Cool Wet years, more typical of Europe.

At the end we relaxed after a hard day with a glass or two of Joadja Wine and a slice or two of wood fired Pizza.

some more of our vines

Volunteer Grape Pickers hard at work on March 10, 2011