Sixth generation Barossa winegrower and grazier John Kalleske believes he has found the new technique that will carry his family property into the future – even if the drought years continue.
Despite good results with organic farming techniques, precious Shiraz vines that John’s ancestors planted in Greenock in the late nineteenth century had begun to fall into decline. But five years ago he found out about Biodynamics, a farming system that John believes has helped these ancient – and unirrigated – vines return to fruitful production.
“Going to the Biodynamics workshop in Beechworth [north-east Victoria] with my sons was the turning point,” says John. And despite the intense drought of the last few years, “Since we started using Biodynamics the vines are looking better. In fact, when you look at them now it doesn’t look as if it’s been a dry year at all!”
John says that Biodynamics is an agricultural system that represents the “pinnacle of organics and helps fine tune everything to the highest possible standard.”
At the Biodynamics workshop he attended, John was shown how to create special compost-based preparations that build the humus content of the soil and so allows it to hang-on to the rare rain that does fall.
While the wines from John’s vines had always been good, in the last few years the family has been given more awards than they can keep track of and their top drop from the vines planted in the nineteenth century now sells for over $100 per bottle – and they sell out every year!
“What is most satisfying,” says John, “is that my three sons – Kim, Tony, and Troy – are not only fanatical about growing great wine but that they are equally enthusiastic to take the biodynamic principles into the seventh generation!”
Another Biodynamic workshop will be taking place in the Barossa this year at Leon Nietschke’s property in Koonunga on the first and second of March. Two other workshops in the Adelaide Hills (March 3-4) and at Mount Gambier (February 27-28) will also be taking place. Registrations (which are FarmBis supported for eligible participants and tax deductible for businesses) are available through Biodynamic Agriculture Australia on 02 6655 0566.
Biodynamics is an approach that works for all forms of agriculture, from grapes to cattle, and the Koonunga workshop will show participants all they need to know to get started, no matter what kind of farm they are on. John Kalleske, for instance, is a sheep grazier as well as a winegrower and uses the same biodynamic preparations to enhance the paddocks where his sheep are kept as he uses in the vineyard to grow some of the Barossa’s most valuable wines.
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