celebrate Grenache today
Our grenache vineyard holds a special place in the Lake Breeze story as the oldest vines on the property. They were planted in 1932 by Harry Follett, Ken’s uncle.
Once Harry had built the 'Bernoota' homestead, dairy and sheds in the late 1920's, he planted vineyards and orchards, establishing the property as a busy, productive mixed farm. He preserved the beautiful swamp and stands of river red gums along the Bremer, providing a safe habitat for native birds and animals.
However, it was over 50 years later, in 1985 that we produced the first Grenache under our Lake Breeze label, from our 6 rows of old vines. Entirely hand pruned and picked, our Old Vine Grenache is pretty much exclusive to cellar door and a very special wine.
Jane Faulkner awarded our current release 2024 Old Vine Grenache 95 points in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion and wrote:
"How old is old? Well vines planted in 1932. And look at that price – an absolute
bargain, especially as this is a delicious, gorgeous drink. Yes, there’s a touch of red lollies but mostly exuberant red fruits, all punctuated by fresh herbs and warm spices. Juicy, tangy acidity keeps this buoyant but so, too, do lovely textural, sandy tannins. Surely this vies for the best value old-vine wine in Australia? I’m sold."
Where else could you purchase a bottle of old vine grenache, handpicked from 93 year old vines for $30?
A versatile grape variety, Greg lightly presses our old vine grenache to make our crisp, dry Rosato. We have recently planted a new block of grenache to ensure good supply of fruit for this wine. And on occasion, a small portion is fortified for The Gramps, our rare tawny. The Gramps is a tribute to our living legend, Ken.
