Description
The renowned Coonawarra region in South Australia’s South East, famous for its terra rossa soil had a wonderful wet cold winter in 2014. Spring and summer were then terribly dry until tropical cyclones off the Queensland and Western Australian coasts conspired to travel inland as tropical depressions and dump 25mm of rain onto Coonawarra in the first week of January. Some parts of South Australia received up to 200mm.
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.
