About Lane Vineyard - the Winery
Lane Vineyard
On a grey morning in July 1941, Reginald William Germein and John Crighton Edwards joined the Royal Australian Airforce. They went to war to protect their beloved country and give their children the opportunity to live, work, play and fulfil their dreams
If old buildings could talk, the hay shed at Lane Vineyard would tell quite a story. It began its days long ago in quiet solitude, the only visitors were a handful of cows and the occasional farmer with his dog. John Edwards searched for two years to find land with the aspect and soils he wanted for his vineyard. When he walked through the old farmgate on Ravenswood Lane, he realised his dream, the land for growing extreme quality fruit for distinguished, complex, sought after wines. In 1993, Edwards established new vines around the hay shed on Ravenswood Lane. From the very first wines produced under the Ravenswood Lane label in 1996, John’s belief in the terroir was rewarded with exceptional wines.
John’s forthright and colourful character led to a seven year joint venture with the Hardy Wine Company, where John was vigneron behind the Adelaide Hills brand Starvedog Lane. Edwards left the joint venture in 2005 to fully realise the potential of his vineyard by producing single vineyard wines at Ravenswood Lane. Almost overnight, after an extreme makeover in 2005, Lane Vineyard morphed into a new, state of the the art, small batch winery. Designed by Edwards and architect Gerald Asbroek, the Lane Vineyard wineworks incorporate the latest technology and equipment available.
John’s extensive research and careful selection of equipment reflect his intimate knowledge of every block of grapes at The Lane Vineyard. The new facilities were designed to meet stringent new planning laws in relation to crush size, waste water management, building location and spill protection.
There is great focus given to the natural sanctity of Mt Lofty, that water catchment areas are protected, that a minimal use of precious water is pumped from underground bore or harvested through rainwater tanks. The aim is to promote abundant organic ecosystems within the soil profile and natural control of pests under the vine canopy.
The dedicated team at Lane Vineyard take land management and sustainability very seriously, they endeavour to be socially responsible, environmentally sound and economically viable. They have adopted a range of cleaner production practices in the winery to improve the quality of waste water, including utilising an ozone generator to sterilize barrels and tanks rather than using caustic chemicals.
Cutting edge water management techniques achieve cleaner waste water, treated on site in an aerobic system, polished, then returned to the vineyard for irrigation. There is no interaction with groundwater or surface flows. The waste water tanks are situated within a dam as a spill retention strategy to further minimise any risk to the environment. The wines of Lane Vineyard are all about style, an evolutionary new concept of Adelaide Hills. The prudent management of resources is inextricably linked to the quality and character of wine. Grapes are either hand picked or carefully machine harvested in the cool hours of night and delivered between 10 and 300 metres to the winery door.
Slippery and sensuous, crafted to provide a synergy with good food. Powerful but fine, these are occasion wines with the unique approachability which makes them a joy to appreciate every day. The envigorating early morning mists over scenic rolling hills, precede the late morning sunlight as it warms the ancient gravelly soils. The waning beams of twilight, form a backdrop to the chirp of listless birds, as the moon slowly rises into the crisp sweet forest air. Drink in the atmosphere, it is the place of great wine.
