Whicher Ridge Wines was established by husband and wife team, Cathy and Neil Howard in 2008. Neil is the viticulturist and Cathy is the winemaker. With a collective 45 years experience in the wine industry between them, they decided to take control of their own destiny, plant a vineyard, build a winery and handcraft a range of single varietal, single region wines from Western Australia.
At the core of their Whicher Ridge brand, is their belief that the best wines are made from grapes grown in a combination of soil, aspect and micro-climate, that best suits that variety. The wines from their Whicher Ridge vineyard in Chapman Hill (south of Busselton) include a sauvignon blanc, a viognier and a cabernet sauvignon. Grapes are sourced from a vineyard in the Frankland River area of the Great Southern region, to make two more Whicher Ridge wines, a riesling and a shiraz.
The Whicher Ridge winemaking philosophy is to make wines that are balanced, that have distinctive varietal aromas and flavours, and that have the structure, length, and flavour intensity to match with food, and to age if required.
Cathy’s passion for Riesling started in the Barossa Valley when she was winemaker for St Hallett Wines, making Eden Valley and Clare Valley Rieslings. The Whicher Ridge Riesling is from Frankland River, and the first vintage release was 2009. The lean granite based soils and climate give this riesling distinctive chalky, mineral characters which are unique to this area, along with sweet limes and a floral character often described as fresh lavender. The wines also have texture and weight to the palate, giving them wonderful aging potential.
You can find them at www.whicherridgewines.com.au
And on twitter @WhicherRidge
