Description
WINEMAKING
Each fruit parcel was handpicked before careful transportation to the Petaluma winery. The fruit was fermented in stainless steel static fermenters with heading down boards. Then, inoculated with our chosen yeast strain, the wines were rack and returned daily before being pressed to tank. The wines then spent 17 months in barrel (54% new French oak barriques and hogsheads with the balance in one year old French oak), during which time they underwent full malolactic fermentation. The wines then underwent racking, fining with egg whites and a light filtration before being bottled.
About Petaluma
Petaluma was founded in 1976, built on the belief in carefully selecting the finest viticultural sites within a particular iconic Australian wine region. This belief is based on planting the right grape varieties specifically suited to that region. The wines of Petaluma are a singular expression of this founding belief. Today, we have a dedicated team of grape growers and winemakers, working together in order to create truly remarkable wines. Our winemaking is uncompromised and intuitive and the wines are handcrafted. Constant attention to detail and dedication to quality, above all else, see the wines of Petaluma setting the standard for now and decades to come. The distinguished sites belief led us to nurture Riesling in the Clare Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz in Coonawarra, Chardonnay in the Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills, Shiraz from the warm escarpment of Mt Barker and Sauvignon Blanc from the Adelaide Hills.
Ben Thoman – Senior Winemaker
Petaluma Wines
Ben Thoman, the Senior Winemaker at Petaluma Wines, is a true South Australian local. However, winemaking wasn’t his first career path. For over a decade, he worked as an engineer and project manager while quietly amassing an impressive wine collection.
As Ben’s passion for wine grew, he decided to take a leap of faith and returned to the University of Adelaide in 2007 to study winemaking. He completed research scale winemaking and even spent a vintage in the Mosel Valley, Germany, all in the name of pursuing his love for Riesling, which remains one of his favorite varietals to this day.
Throughout his 15-year career, he’s developed his skills in all styles of winemaking, including a stint as a sparkling winemaker in Napa, California. Today, as the Senior Winemaker at Petaluma Wines, Ben considers being the Petaluma Ambassador as well as participating in wine show judging and consumer engagement as critical aspects of his role and development as a winemaker.
Ben’s winemaking philosophy centers around the perfect balance of art and science. With his engineering background, he takes a systematic approach to his work to ensure there’s plenty of time for fun and creativity in what he does. Join Ben on his winemaking journey and see how he blends science with creativity to create some of the world’s most exceptional wines.
