Pewsey Vale Vineyard

Pewsey Vale was a famous vineyard established in 1847 by Joseph Gilbert. It was appropriate that when the Hill-Smith family began the renaissance of the Eden Valley plantings in 1961, it should do so by purchasing Pewsey Vale and establishing 50ha of riesling. In ’77 the riesling also finally benefited from being the first wine to be bottled with a Stelvin screwcap. While public reaction forced the abandonment of the initiative for almost 20 years, Pewsey Vale never lost faith in the technical advantages of the closure. A quick taste (or better, a share of a bottle) of Contours Riesling will tell you why. -JAMES HALLIDAY