Description
About Lethbridge Wines
Lethbridge Wines is the Australian fine wine dream built with imagination, fearless determination, perspiration, integrity and confidence.” Andrew Caillard, MW Goumet Traveller Wine July 2009
Our aim is to produce natural, savoury wines that focus on balance and texture with a real sense of place or terroir.
The Flagship Vineyard in Lethbridge, located 30 km north west of Geelong, was originally planted in 1874 by Swiss immigrants and was replanted by the owners of Lethbridge Wines in 1996. This vineyard is managed using sustainable principles, informed by organic and biodynamic practices.
Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson are not your average winemaker/owners of a boutique winery. Both were initially trained as research scientists and hold PhD degrees in chemistry and medicine, respectively. Mid career they made the decision to pursue their alternate passion and together with friend Adrian Thomas established Lethbridge Wines in 1996.
Both Maree and Ray completed their winemaking degree at Charles Sturt University after which Ray concluded “winemaking is not really that different to science, both are creative and both involve 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration”.
“As well as understanding the importance of terroir, the partners have built a unique strawbale winery, designed to recreate the controlled environment of cellars and caves in Europe. Winemaking is no less ecological: hand-picking, indigenous-yeast fermentation, small open fermenters, pigeage (foot-stomping) and minimal handling of the wines throughout the maturation process are all part and parcel of the highly successful Lethbridge approach.” James Halliday
