A vineyard (/ˈvɪnjərd/) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture.
A vineyard is often characterised by its terroir, a French term loosely translating as "a sense of place" that refers to the specific geographical and geological characteristics of grapevine plantations, which may be imparted in the wine.
Grapes have been grown and wine produced in South Australia since it was settled in the 19th century, but only in relatively recent times has its reputation begun to filter further afield. As as a state, “SA”, as they call it here, was a planned settlement rather than a colony - this, combined with an arid climate, goes a long way to explain its development.
The state benefits fro hugely diverse terrors, often in one valley, sometimes even within the same vineyard. McLaren Vale, for example, is believed to have been as mountainous as the Himalayas twice throughout the aeons, a tumultuous change in landscape which has left the now-relatively flat region enormously varied in terms of soil types. This gives modern, more knowledgeable (and adventurous) grape growers the ability to both experiment with varietals and maximise the land available to them by planting higher yielding vines. In pervious years, growers stick with whatever worked first, not necessarily what worked best. These days, modern technology and research are allowing them to pinpoint the most effective way of using their soil, and young winemakers like those in the Adelaide Hills are reaping the rewards.
Historically, as a settled state, people came here by choice, through the word must be considered in relative term; the grape escape is an apt way of describing a necessity rather than adventure. Irish Catholics came to Clare (naming it after the Irish country) to escape famine; Lutheran Germans to flee a king displeased with their desire for religious freedom. While others were forced to the antipodes through the legal system (of sorts), here politics, religion, opportunity or just plain hunger were the driving force.
Those who came here found what David describes as “magic soil”. Fruit and vegetables grew in abundance, but the money was in the vines, and it wan’t long before wineries across the state began to export their wines back to the old world. In time, winemaking - along with sustistance farming - became the lifeblood of the region.
While survival may have been the goal back then, many people continue to find purpose through the soil to this day.