Vineyard of the Year
Ngeringa are very proud to share that on Tuesday 11th of June Ngeringa's Summit Vineyard was awarded 'Vineyard of the Year' at the 2024 Young Gun of Wine Awards in Melbourne.
The prize was a deserving acknowledgment of Erinn and Janet Klein’s dedication to producing premium quality fruit and their ongoing commitment to biodynamic farming practices.
We were honoured to be a finalist for the Vineyard of Year award, amongst some of the best growers and producers in Australia today, and express our congratulations to all the other finalists this year.
Other winners on the night included Sheridan Alm’s of Starr’s Reach in the Riverland won the ‘Innovative Vineyard of the Year’. While ‘Old Vineyard of the Year’ was awarded to Andrew George of Yarra Yering, and ‘New Vineyard of the Year’ went to Adam Foster of Syrahmi Wines’ Home Block in Heathcote.
The Young Gun of Wine ‘Vineyard of the Year Awards’ provides an opportunity for the industry to acknowledge the important role vineyards, and sustainable viticultural practices play in the wine industry and its future. It also is a chance to celebrate the individuals and organisations doing exceptional things in their field (pun intended). The Young Gun of Wine awards have a particular focus on sustainability, innovation, and the pursuit of wine quality and healthy vineyards.
The Summit Vineyard
The Summit Vineyard was planted by Janet and Erinn in 2001-2002 and in many regards it is the heart of the Ngeringa farm in Mount Barker Summit, South Australia The Summit Vineyard is possibly most well known as the site where the fruit for Ngeringa's Single Vineyard Summit Chardonnay and Summit Pinot Noir is grown. However it is also notable for other reasons. Not only was The Summit Vineyard among Australia's pioneering biodynamically managed vineyards, but it is here that Janet and Erinn implemented numerous viticultural techniques, such as high density planting, which back in the early 2000's were on the leading edge of Australian grape growing.
When you visit Ngeringa, you will also notice that numerous plots of land surrounding the Summit Vineyard and across the property have been planted with native flora over the last 20 years. Indeed, in that time, Janet and Erinn have committed more than 20% of the Ngeringa farm to native revegetation and natural regeneration in order to balance the land use for agriculture vs. native ecosystems, harness the powerful ecosystem services offered by native habitat and for greater farm resilience. The Summit vineyard and surrounds is also home to an extensive native grass project, as recently seen on ABC's Gardening Australia, thanks to the work of Seeding Natives and EcoVineyards.