About Cartwheel - the Winery
Cartwheel
Yearning for adventure, a sense of fun and escapism? Cartwheel takes you off the beaten track to the inspiring Margaret River and Great Southern regions
Cartwheel's premium wines embody the natural sophistication of Western Australia's unique landscape and environment. The Margaret River wine region is focused around the Margaret River Township, which is located 250km South-West of Perth on a large peninsula of the West Australian Coast. Margaret River has a temperate maritime climate that is typified by long dry summers and moderate but very wet winters. Rising only to an elevation of 90m, the soils are well-drained sandy loams over water retentive clay loam that eliminates the need for supplementary watering in summer.
Cartwheel makes flavoursome Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay as well as tangy, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The reds are easy to appreciate and mature gracefully, while the whites offer fresh and lively with characters that capture the essence of the region.
Cartwheel's Great Southern source vineyards are located approximately 400km south of Perth. This region is bordered by the Great Southern Ocean, the gradient of the land is generally uniform and the region as a whole is gently undulating. The climate is a maritime one, typified by cool dry summers and cool wet winters. The soil is such that small amounts of supplementary irrigation can be required during dry seasons.
Sam Glaetzer's father Colin, is one of Australia's most celebrated winemakers, while his uncle is well-known Wolf Blass legend John Glaetzer
Winemaker Sam Glaetzer leads the Cartwheel winemaking team, bringing with him a wealth of award winning experience and the talent that has become synonymous with the Glaetzer name in Australian winemaking circles. Sam Glaetzer is a winemaker with an unmistakable pedigree. Born in South Australia's Mt Gambier in 1974, Sam grew up amongst winemakers of an extremely high-calibre.
During his youth Sam lived in such renowned wine growing areas as Rutherglen, the Barossa Valley and Great Western. Due to this constant exposure to the highs and lows of life as a winemaker and despite completing qualifications as an engineer, Sam decided to continue the Glaetzer family traditition and completed the world-famous Roseworthy winemaking course at Adelaide University.
While at university, Sam worked as a cellarhand at Barossa Valley Estates and went on to various roles within Beringer Blass, using his engineering background to become Environmental Engineer and working through to his current position as one of the Senior Winemakers. Sam has a desire to make wines that consumers the world-over can enjoy, and is well on the way to achieving this goal with the release of the new Cartwheel range.
Married to another Beringer Blass winemaker, Kirsten Glaetzer, and with brother Ben also in the field, Sam has little chance of getting away from winemaking. However, when he does take a break, he enjoys his time mountain bike riding, cooking and travelling.
