Rise Vineyards

Rise is very much a busman's holiday for Grant Norman and Matthew McCulloch. The two are a close-knit team, Grant looking after the business and Matt the wine. Matt spent more than a decade in the UK wine trade. In 2006 Matt and wife Gina moved to the Clare Valley, where he was responsible for sales and marketing at Kirrihill Wines, of which Grant, an Australian wine industry veteran, was general manager. The move to Clare enabled Matt and Gina to realise a long-held dream of making wine with the help of Grant and his wife Alice. Having spent 11 years on the road working with more than 70 winemakers in 13 countries, Matt was convinced the focus of Rise should be on making small-scale, terroir-driven Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Shiraz, reflecting the unique vineyard sites from which they come. Exports to China. -JAMES HALLIDAY