Vineyard

The Pertaringa vineyard was first established in 1970 in McLaren Vale where grapes have been grown and wines have been produced since 1838. The McLaren Vale region is bordered by the city of Adelaide to the north, the Adelaide Hills to the east, Sellicks Hill Range to the south and the Gulf of St Vincent to the west. The Pertaringa vineyard lies in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges (part of the Adelaide Hills) at a slightly higher altitude than most of McLaren Vale and with a maritime influence from the nearby ocean.

This temperate environment and the deep clay and loam soils create the perfect location for grape growing. The soils, which are overlaying with small pebbles, provide good drainage and water retention properties.

Throughout the 1980s, the modernisation of winemaking techniques was the foremost focus in wine production, while the 1990s saw an increased emphasis on viticultural innovation for quality enhancement in the vineyard. Today, the vineyard is recognised as possibly the most important factor in crafting a premium wine.

In 2006, Ian's son Richard Leask took over the day-to-day management of the Pertaringa vineyard and a program utilising biodynamic principles was introduced and will continue to be developed over the coming years. The vineyard has also undergone some significant structural changes since 2006 with removal of some varieties and re-working of some of the old blocks of Shiraz.

The vineyard management at Pertaringa guarantees the highest quality grapes for the winery's own wines, as well as the grape buyers. This is evident with the continual demand for the grapes from the Pertaringa vineyards from Australia's top wine producers. The vineyard manager and the winemaker select the premium parcels of the vineyard for the Pertaringa wines, ensuring that each vintage will be of the highest quality.