Vale Creek Wines

In 1994 retired airline pilot Tony Hatch and former accountant partner Liz McFarland purchased their 120ha property near Bathurst. Over the following years Tony acquired an advanced diploma in farm management from the University of Sydney, with electives in viticulture, and both Tony and Liz have completed winemaking courses at TAFE, attended numerous AWRI workshops, and worked in vineyards and wineries in Bathurst, Mudgee and Orange. The turning point was a 2002 visit by Tony to leading oenologist Dr Alberto Antonini in Tuscany, who designed the vineyard layout and trellis system. The sangiovese clone selected by Dr Antonini was propagated by Chalmers Nursery, and became available at the end of '04; arneis had also been procured. A 100-tonne winery was completed in mid-2005,and the first experimental vintage (with purchased grapes) made in '06. That year Tony worked the vintage at Castello di Bossi in Chianti, gaining firsthand experience with sangiovese and vermentino. The estate plantings of sangiovese, barbera, dolcetto, pinot grigio and arneis are supplemented by limited purchases of other varieties, notably vermentino. -JAMES HALLIDAY