Wine only made in the good years

We are family. We’re also fussy drinkers. Therefore, each vintage we decide which grapes are good enough to be harvested for our Gledhill wines range from vineyards in South Australia and New South Wales. Our grape to glass process is really just from our family to yours, which is why we only select great grapes in great years.

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Welcome

Wine is a journey, vintage by vintage, and we’d love you to join us as we forge a path from vine to wine.

I’m a fifth generation grape grower but the first of our family to venture into winemaking as a career.

And you’re a big part of this journey! So, let me know your thoughts about our wine, because at the end of the day, wine is best enjoyed in company.

“Let the Gledhill Vignerons story become your story. As you open a bottle of our wine and enjoy a glass of our dreams and passion, if you find the wine a pleasure to drink, raise a toast to us as we will to you”

John Gledhill

Our Vines

Learn about our grapes. There are many stories spanning two states and five generations.

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Our Wines

Browse our virtual cellar door, read our wine tasting notes, and stock up your basket with some great wine.

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Wine Words

You know what winemakers are like, we love a good chat. Read John’s ramblings, written while imbibing.

Read on

John Gledhill

BAppSc (Viticulture) BAppSc (Wine Sc) CSturt

After growing up on the family vineyard, John studied viticulture at La Trobe University, leading to work at Mitchelton Wines in Nagambie, central Victoria. This experience inspired his winemaking philosophy and led him to Charles Sturt University where he earned his double degree in Wine Science and Viticulture.

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I Have Experience With…

Winery Operations

John developed an operational understanding of the winemaking process, with invaluable tuition from Mitchelton’s senior winemaker Don Lewis and winemaker Toby Barlow. Don was a highly regarded for producing some of the country’s best Rieslings and Rhone Valley wine styles. During his time in the cellar, John developed a strong understanding of all operations and processes involved in producing both commercial and premium red and white wines.

Winemaking

In late 2010, John joined Rosemount Estate as a member of their winemaking team. His learning curve was steep, guided by Matt Koch, Andrew Locke, Randall Cummins, Trevor Tucker and Priscilla Buckley, as well as very experienced cellar and lab teams. Over four years, the brand became the most highly awarded in Australia, winning medals for over 80% of the wines entered in wine shows, including over 20% Gold medals, where the national average is 6% Gold.

Harvest Grading

For the 2015 vintage at Penfolds in the Barossa Valley, John took on the role of vintage/nightshift winemaker for one of the world’s most iconic wine brands. Early in the harvest, John frequented Penfolds vineyards and assisted in harvest grading and timing, before making the switch to managing nightshift winemaking responsibilities and built a strong rapport with not only the Penfolds winemaking team, but also worked very closely with the cellar and lab teams while there.

Fortified Production

John’s love of fortified wines was further enhanced during his time at Penfolds, by shadowing the fortified winemaking team of James Godfrey and Matt Woo, and becoming involved in grading and classification tastings, operational decisions and protocols as well as final blending and bottling preparation of some of the grandest and oldest port wines Australia produces.

Wine Research

As Research Winemaker for WIC Winemaking Services, John oversees 20–100kg parcels of fruit carrying out small batch winemaking in the interest of viticultural and winegrape research. He has been responsible for developing and implementing specific winemaking protocols to assist the research organisations maximise their outcomes and provide value back to industry. John’s clients include both University of Adelaide and AWRI, as well as CSIRO, state Department of Agriculture bodies and some external commercial client.

My Approach & Philosophy

Grapes are harvested and transported for vinification, under the skilled eye of Director / Vigneron John Gledhill, a now well regarded craftsman in Oenology.

Vinification takes place in small open fermenters, with a few days of cold skin contact to stabilise colour extraction, inoculation with a Mauriferm yeast strain, fermented dry before pressing and transfer to French Oak barrels for malo-lactic fermentation for a further 12-18 months.

Flavour and colour extraction is achieved by a combination of plunging and pumping over of the cap three to four times per day which is determined solely by daily ferment tasting.

A rack and aerative return may be employed if we wish to achieve more extraction or if there is any presence of Hydrogen Sulphide during ferment that yeast nutrient does not reduce.

The Winemaker’s Blog

Here are some occasional articles published by John Gledhill.

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Get In Touch

Call

+ 61 (0)429 140 377

Email

john@gledhillwines.com.au

Company Details

Gledhill Vignerons Pty Ltd is a registered wine business in based in Australia, formalised as a legal entity in June 2010 by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and approved for a South Australian alcohol Producer’s Licence by the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner of South Australia in December 2010.

ABN

37 144 945 835

Liquor Licensing Act 1997 Producer’s Licence:

50816184