Blind Spot Vineyard Development and Transformation

The Blind Spot Vineyard was acquired by Willunga 100 in March of 2019 and is the source of our Grenache, Grenache Rosé, and the Blind Spot Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache. The vineyard also has a 13 row plot of 88-year-old Shiraz vines which were used to make a single block Shiraz, the Moritz Block Blewitt Springs Shiraz, which will be released early next year.



The 19-hectare site, situated on Moritz Road in the heart of Blewitt Springs, has close to eight hectares of old, bush trained Grenache. The vineyard is situated within the ‘Hundred of Willunga’, the area which was the inspiration for our name.

Willunga 100 had a long-standing relationship with the previous owners, the Di Fabbio family, who planted our 15 Acre Grenache vineyard in 1968.  We had sourced fruit from the vineyard for some years, so were already familiar with the site’s personality and quality of the fruit it produced.  The Di Fabbio family bought the property from the Moritz family in 1966, who planted our 13 rows of old Shiraz in 1936.


88 Year Old Shiraz Vines - Moritz Block

Our direction to Alex Sas, our viticultural consultant, was to transform this fine site into the best possible vineyard.  This is what he has been doing over the past five years to effect that transformation.


Alex Sas (Viticulturist), David Gleave (Owner) and Renae Hirsch (Winemaker)

Alex Sas – Viticulturist

“Over the last few years, big changes have been made to the footprint of the Blind Spot vineyard.  We reviewed whether existing blocks were fit for purpose, or whether they were even planted in the right place, and made some hard decisions.  Several blocks were pulled out so that in the future they could be replanted with varieties that suited our style and the landscape.


Vines pulled to make way for future plantings

For example, a block of old Shiraz (fondly called the ‘Creek Shiraz’) was removed because – it was growing in a creek!  We decided that it was far better to return this area to nature than grow Shiraz and have started the process of planting local species such as knobby club rush (Ficinia nodosa) and sedges to build biodiversity, and many more (water-loving!) local plant species will be added over the next few years.  Building biodiversity in and around the vineyard provides free pest control and builds soil health and resilience.  It just makes sense.


Water loving natives have replaced the "Creek Shiraz"

We also removed the ‘Home’ block Cabernet Sauvignon, and we’ve planted part of it to a mixture of hop-leaved wattles (Acacia dodoneafolia), sheaoks (Allocasuarina verticillate), blackwoods (Acacia melanoxylon) and South Australian Christmas bush (Bursaria spinosa).  And there’s lots more planting still to be done.


"Home Block" Cabernet was removed to make way for natives.

But we’re not just planting natives. A mix of Rhone varieties are being added over the next few years as well:

• 0.33 Ha Roussanne (planted 2022 and 2023)
• 0.81 Ha Piquepoul Blanc (planted 2022 and +2024)
• 0.16 Ha Clairette (+2024)
• 0.73 Ha Grenache Blanc (+2024)
• 1.64 Ha Grenache (noir) (+2024)
• 0.66 Ha Grenache Gris (+2025)

New white Rhone varieties being planted 

In the spring of 2020 we made the decision to pull out the existing Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc from Blind Spot and these have been replaced with more Grenache. Notably, Grenache cuttings for this site came from the 101 year old bush vines at the Smart Vineyard in Clarendon, from which we make our Single Vineyard Grenache, allowing us to continue the heritage of these vines that have contributed so much to the story of McLaren Vale Grenache.


Cuttings from the 101 year old Smart Vineyard Clarendon Grenache grafted.

Here are a few other things we’ve been doing to make the Blind Spot vineyard even better, and to reduce our impact on the planet.

Ground covers (everywhere!)

While most vineyards have some type of cover crop or ground cover growing between the rows, not many have plants growing under the vines as well.  Blind Spot is one of a growing number of vineyards that recognises the benefits that the right mix of plants can bring.  The right combination of species improve soil health and support beneficial predatory insects that keep pest species like light brown apple moth in check.  

We’ve planted a mix of species that we’ve let grow right across the vineyard floor in the older parts of the vineyard (not the young plantings – they don’t need the competition!). Sure, it looks a bit messier than the golf-course like vineyards with their clean under vine herbicide strips, but it’s heaps better for the vines and the environment.  We’re experimenting with the right mix for the Maslin sands that our vines grow in – next season we’ll try something new again.  As strange as it sounds, getting the mix right can also save soil moisture, so this is something we are keen to keep experimenting with.

Compost 

This season we spread compost across certain blocks in the vineyard.  We use detailed soil surveys and aerial imagery to pin-point which blocks need the extra help that compost can bring. 

Layering 

Given the age of our dry-grown, bush vine Grenache, it’s not uncommon to see gaps in the vineyard from vines that have died over the years from old-age. These gaps are being filled using ‘layering’ – where a cane from an existing ‘mother-vine’ is buried underground to create an adjacent new vine.  The two vines stay connected, without any adverse effect on the mother vine.  Using this technique we have slowly filled some of the gaps across the vineyard using the unique vine material we have on site.


Layering at 15 Acres

Member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

The Blind Spot vineyard is also a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. This is Australia’s national program for grape growers and winemakers to demonstrate and continuously improve their sustainability in the vineyard and winery through the environmental, social and economic aspects of their businesses. Growing and making wine sustainably is a holistic approach to production that evolves the environmental aspect of the craft. It looks at how we can better use energy and water to create efficiency, support regions and communities, and establish a business that is resilient and thriving. Sustainable practices help nurture the land and pass it on in a better condition, creating value and security for generations to come.”