The Family
David and Wizz O'Dea are the founders of Windowrie Estate. David O'Dea completed a degree in Agriculture at Hawkesbury University in 1961. Wizz O'Dea began her life on a farm situated near the Hunter Valley and married David in 1964. Windowrie was purchased in 1959 and David and Wizz worked together in the production of various cereal crops.
The decision to diversify into grape growing in the 1980's dramatically changed the family's fortunes. From humble beginnings Windowrie Estate now boasts the region's first winery and employs up to 45 people in casual labour and 14 people in full time labour.
Stephen (Steph) O'Dea completed a Bachelor of Building Degree at Canberra University and has put his skills to good use, reconstructing The Mill in Cowra to operate as a retail outlet for Windowrie wine. Work on The Mill began in February 1996 and the Cellar Door opened in October of the same year.
Steph joined the business in 1999 and is currently living in Guangdong in china promoting the Windowrie range of wines.
Dimity (Doe) O'Dea completed Wine Marketing at Roseworthy University in Adelaide. Doe spent part of her course living in Amsterdam, where she studied the Dutch wine market. Through Doe's extensive world travel, she has gained an invaluable global perspective on world wine markets.
Doe has brought this experience to the family business which she joined in 1998. Now living in Amsterdam she represents Windowrie as their European representative.
Jason O'Dea completed Viticulture at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga in New South Wales in 1994, and has worked with Windowrie ever since.
In 1996 he travelled for 18 months on a global vineyard discovery tour, studying different viticultural practices in North America, South America and Europe. Since returning to Australia, Jason has applied this knowledge to the management of Windowrie's vineyards while developing new ideas for further improvements to wine quality.
The Winery
The O'Dea Family, believing that Cowra's potential as a grape-growing region could only be reached by processing its own fruit locally, have invested in a state of the art winery - completed in time for the 1999 vintage. The winery was erected on a hillside overlooking the magnificent vista of the Estate's vineyard and has the capability of processing up to 6000 tonnes of grapes.
The vision for the winery was to combine the latest technology with traditional techniques, and most importantly to reduce the critical time between picking and crushing the grapes. Because the Windowrie Estate vineyards surround the winery, winemaking can begin within minutes of harvesting.
David O'Dea explains “having a winery close to the source of production allows the special attributes of the locality to be stamped onto the wine. Windowrie wines are estate grown and made on site at the winery”
The winery is also accredited as a organic processor allowing the winery to make organic wine from organially grown grapes.
The winery has the capacity to handle small volumes of fruit through to very large parcels up to 200 tonnes in one night.
The winery is dedicated to working with with non core varietals to access the ability of the region to produce regional wines of outstanding quality.
In 2008, in an effort to increase the biodiversity of the winery site, Windowrie set aside 100000 square meters surrounding the winery to establish a regeneration project.The aim of the project is to increase biodiversity and to offset carbon production at Windowrie. The first of five thousand native trees and shrubs were planted in January 2008. Waste water from the winery will be treated and used to help establish the project.
With support from the LCMA the plan is to return the entire area to its natural state by 2012.
The Vineyard
The gently undulating slopes of the Windowrie vineyard allow for excellent air drainage. To maximise light interception, vine rows are planted north to south and various types of canopy management are used including Scott Henry and Smart Dyson. These systems also aid in the control of vigour and ensure the fruit flavour characteristics of the Windowrie wines.
Supplementary irrigation is supplied via a drip system from an underground aquifer. Various methods of irrigation are employed such as Restricted Deficit Irrigation and Partial Root Zone Drying.
Windowrie Estate practises minimal intervention - no insecticides are used - and this ensures that natural predators flourish. Windowrie also manage an accredited organic vineyard and offer advice and management to vineyards in the region.
Grape varieties are planted according to which soil type irrigation method and canopy management are required for maximum quality and varietal fruit flavour. Windowrie Estate believes that the combination of the natural soil, climate, topography and water and careful management practices allow the growth of clean, fresh, full flavoured grapes.
Windowrie are dedicated to experimentation in the vineyard. This includes the planting of several non core varietals in order to learn which varieties are best suited to this relatively young region. Windowrie has the following varieties planted on its vineyards : Chardonnay, Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo and Cabernet Franc.
While the region has put its name on the map through its excellant Chardonnay it is the red varietals and Verdelho that Windowrie are most excited about in the future.
Jason O'Dea explains "Our first plantings of Cabernet,Shiraz and Merlot are now nearly twenty years old and we are definately seeing the quality of the fruit improve as the vines age.The yields are of course low however the quality is going ahead in leaps and bounds"
Only grapes sourced from vineyards managed by Windowrie Estate are used for the production of their wines, thus allowing one hundred percent control over fruit production and wine quality.
Would you like to know more?
For more information or any queries on Windowrie vineyards or winemaking please e-mail wine@windowrie.com.au
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