Kangaroo Island - The Next Bastion of Ultra-Premium Australian Wine
 By Paul H
Approximately two thirds of the islands rainfall occurs between the months of May and September. Falls vary greatly across the island and range from 450-500mm at Kingscote and Penneshaw to 635mm at Parndana, climbing to 900mm at the Western end of the central plateau.
As with rainfall soils vary widely across the island with sand, loam, clay, shell grit and limestone being common along with the ironstone which would be forever etched in the minds of those to have piloted a motor vehicle off the sealed major arterial roads.
The greater proportion of vineyards are located on the eastern half of the island, in the 450-650mm average annual rainfall zones. Vineyards on
Benefits and limitations to viticulture on
The positives for viticulture include:
• Mild climate leading to a long, slow ripening period – conducive to the production of high quality table wine styles.
• The climate also lends itself to relatively low input viticulture with generally low disease pressure to be experienced in all but the worst sites (frosts are rare and a breeze is all but guaranteed).
• Free draining soils of relatively poor quality, which control vine vigour and help maintain the balance between canopy and fruit.
Limitations to viticulture:
• Higher cost of production on the island with few wineries available to process the grapes produced and the extortionate cost of transport to and from the mainland.
• Abundance of native fauna including possums, wallabies, crows and currawongs which can lead to vineyards requiring netting and electric perimeter fencing in the higher pressure areas.
• Lack of skilled labour with grape growing not being a traditional industry on the island.
• Shortage of good quality irrigation water. Storage of water can also be an issue on some sites with soils being of a poor consistency for dam building.
Wineries:
| Bay of Shoals Wines Cordes Rd, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island SA 5223, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 0289 Fax +61 (0)8 8553 2081 Email Bay of Shoals email or visit Bay of Shoals web site |
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| Cape d’Estaing Wines North Coast Rd, Wisanger on, Kangaroo Island SA 5222, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 5320 Fax +61 (0)8 8553 5365 Email Cape d’Estaing email or visit Cape d’Estaing web site |
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| Chain of Ponds Wines - Kangaroo Island Florance Vineyard, Gum Creek Rd near, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island SA 5223, Ph +61 (0)8 8376 6350 Fax +61 (0)8 8376 6351 Email Chain of Ponds email or visit Chain of Ponds web site |
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| Dudley Partners Winery Section 357 Hundred of Dudley near, Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island SA 5222, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 1509 Fax +61 (0)8 8553 1509 Email Dudley Partners email |
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| Islander Estate, The PO Box 96, Parndana, Kangaroo Island SA 5220, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 9008 Fax +61 (0)8 8553 9008 Email Islander email or visit Islander web site |
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| Kangaroo Island Springs Road Vineyard off Springs Rd near, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island SA 5223, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 2206 Fax +61 (0)8 8853 3042 Email Springs Road email |
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| Lashmar Wines Antechamber Bay on, Kangaroo Island SA 5222, Ph +61 (0)8 8278 3669 Fax +61 (0)8 8278 3998 Email Lashmar email |
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| Rookery Wines PO Box 132, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island SA 5223, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 9099 Fax +61 (0)8 8533 9201 Email Rookery Wines email or visit Rookery Wines web site |
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| Settlers Plateau Wine Section 34 Hundred of MacGillivray on, Kangaroo Island SA 5222, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 8252 Fax +61 (0)8 8553 8252 Email Settlers Plateau Wine email |
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| Sunset Winery Hog Bay Rd (PO Box 133), Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island SA 5222, Ph +61 (0)8 8553 1378 Fax +61 (0)8 8553 1379 Email Sunset Winery email or visit Sunset Winery web site |
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| Two Wheeler Creek Wines Harriet Rd, Parndana, Kangaroo Island SA 5220, Ph +61 (0)8 8559 4214 Fax +61 (0)8 8559 4114 Email Two Wheeler Creek email |
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