Bella Ridge Estate is producing some exciting wines in the Swan Valley near to Perth.
Alon and Jodi Arbel of Bella Ridge Estate Winery attribute their success to their wines to the winery’s terroir and the care they place on the vineyard.
Keeping yields low, relying on natural yeasts and harvesting by hand, the result is distinctive wines that are a true reflection of the terroir of the Swan Valley.
The wines themselves offer a mellow and savory side of Australia and with such limited production; around 3000 cases a year in all, the wines are highly sought after in Australia.
Hong Konger’s are fortunate to have the wines available here through Cottage Vineyards as the only other market outside Australia is Japan. They used to be imported in Singapore (and recommended by TLN), but no longer.
Arbel is originally from Israel but after his mandatory military service decided to travel the world to follow his first passion, windsurfing.
A passionate wine maker Arbel believes that Australian wine shows are killing the Aussie wine business by pigeon holing the wines into styles rather than actually letting winemakers express their own styles and be a little bit more adventurous.
TLNHK sat down with him during his recent visit here to talk small production wines, windsurfing and life in general.
TLNHK: You are a windsurfer right? Is that a passion or a hobby still?
AA: “I am yes. I finished my military service and flew to Hawaii to go windsurfing. So we decided eventually to head to Perth for some surfing. I wish I had more time to still keep doing it but when you own a vineyard you don’t get a lot of free time!”
TLNHK: Why did you decide to change from an engineering degree to one in oenology?
AA: “Well, my wife put it down to a mid-life crisis! I have always loved wine and been very passionate about it and I did all the courses and spent a load of money on buying wine! To be honest, I couldn’t see myself being an engineer. So I took a course in winemaking at University for 3 years and here I am”.
TLNHK: Your winery’s plantings date back to 1966. Are there still some of the original vines?
AA: “Almost all the vines are the original vines, we have expanded a little and planted a few more varietals but essentially the most part are original vines.”
TLNHK: What inspired you to be so diverse in your grape variety plantings (e.g. the Kyoho variety)?
AA: “We were lucky, they were there when we bought the vineyard. At first I thought about ripping up the Kyoho vines but then I thought, ‘why not make a wine out of this and see what happens’! They’re actually Japanese table grapes but the outcome was lovely so I decided to keep making it.”
TLNHK: Ever thought of going to make wine in Israel?
AA: “I’ve thought about it a few times and people there have spoken to me about it. You never know though. I do have a friend who has a vineyard in Israel so it may happen one day”.
TLNHK: A year ago Ray Jordan named you the “Small Producer of the Year” in WA. Did this help build your reputation and subsequent sales?
AA: “That really did help and we were taken very seriously in industry circles following his award. We are very proactive about what we were doing so it was great as sales increased not only within Australia but also in the markets we have around Asia.”
TLNHK: Where do you see the winery 10 years from now?
AA: “Well, to be honest, our plan is never to expand and actually reduce the quantities that we make so we can really focus on making a fantastic wine, that we like, in our own style. We crop the vineyard harder and harder every year so quantities are already going down slightly.”
TLNHK: What’s your favourite grape to work with and why?
AA: “No one makes Chenin Blanc like we do in Australia. I love to work with this grape and it makes a great wine. I love the flavours and the nuances you get from this wine. The idea with our Chenin is complexity and I think we hit it.”
TLNHK: What do you regularly drink at home?
AA: “We do quite a lot of wine swapping with our neighbouring wine makers but to be honest I'm really not a big drinker. I always have a few of our bottles open so if I do fancy a quick drink in the afternoon I usually have a glass of my own!”
Contributed by Alasdair Nicol, TLN Editor – Hong Kong
