Spinifex Wines continues to reach new heights

FOR more than 20 years a family owned and operated award-winning winery has continued to thrive in one of the most competitive wine regions of South Australia.

Located at Nuriootpa in the heart of the Barossa Valley, Spinifex Wines was established in 2001 by Peter Schell and Magali Gely who hold a strong commitment and passion for the Barossa. They also have a strong French connection both physically and philosophically.

Mr Schell spent several years working at French vintages in regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, and the Languedoc, while up until recently Ms Gely’s family were vignerons with a long lineage in Lunel, near Montpellier.
This has fueled their interest in making unique, hand-crafted wines with personality.

Their relationship with dedicated growers from the Barossa and Eden Valleys has been the foundation of Spinifex Wines since they were established.
Mr Schell and Ms Gely were both living in New Zealand when they made a decision in the 1990s to come to South Australia to study. Mr Schell said the Barossa has been home ever since.

“Magali and I both had a passion for wine and so we decided to study different wine courses at Roseworthy in South Australia,” he said.

“I was studying winemaking and Magali came across to study a Diploma of Wine Marketing and we ended up getting sucked into the industry here, and the beauty of the Barossa.

“We had planned to move back but it didn’t happen and it’s hard to get out and so here we are all those years later.

“The Barossa would be one of the only places in the southern hemisphere that has the culture and 170 years of wine growing. We just love the place and the tight-knit community.”

The couple worked for other people for six-to-eight years and then in 2001 they decided to start Spinifex with Mr Schell saying the name came at 2am in the morning after a couple of bottles of red, and referenced a tumbleweed in New Zealand.

They are one of the most common plants that grow in sand dunes along the coasts of Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.
In 2014 and 2018 the couple purchased established vineyard properties in Eden Valley, the Rostein Vineyard, and on the Barossa Valley floor, the Dominion Vineyard.

Mr Schell said there were certain things that made Spinifex stand out from the rest of their competition in the Barossa Valley.

“We approach things in a personal way, Magaly and I have preferences of what you eat and drink throughout your life, it all comes out in the product,” he said.

“We are a little more restrained with our winemaking and in our view, it is important to have a little bit more polish and have some balance and freshness with our wines.

“Having said that, wine that is a bit more restrained than normal is closer to our take and a slightly more elegant style, wine is personal and not for everyone and we acknowledge this.

Spinifex Wines’ grapes are sourced from a group of dedicated growers in both the Barossa and Eden Valleys, taking advantage of the great diversity of the soils and meso-climates of the Barossa to create wines with balance, character, depth of flavour and Barossan generosity.

Mr Schell said that winemaking was a bit like cooking.

“It is important to understand the ingredients and it is, intuitive sense based and very personal how one person cooks to another and what you like and it’s a bit the same as winemaking,” he said.

“I liken it to long-term cooking and good booze to me is all about good vineyards and good land that is managed well.

“It is important to make wine respectfully and the most honest product gives you the best wine.

“Our winemaking philosophy combines old traditions with new ideas.

“We use both classic methods and modern techniques to bring out the best in our grapes.

“This mix of craftsmanship and innovation helps us capture the land’s essence and the unique qualities of our vineyards, resulting in a collection of wines that celebrate the distinct qualities inherent in every varietal.

Mr Schell said the best wines come from outstanding vineyards, where the terroir imparts its unique character on every grape.

“Our focus is on finding and caring for these special sites, considering them the foundation of our winemaking journey,” he said.

“Fundamentally good wine is also about growing good fruit and accessing good fruit and the ingredients are so critical to the outcome of how the wine turns out.
“Focusing on good grapes and handling well is also important and it doesn’t have to be too complicated.

“Good wines are wines that have personality, the place that they are grown are the best wines.”

Mr Schell said being in the Barossa their wines were mainly based on shiraz and grenache, but they had a diverse range of wines.

He said climate had a fair bit to do with it as well and mentioned that they had grenache vineyards that were 120-years-old and shiraz which was more than 100-years-old but it was those varieties that had proven to be successful over time.

He said the business had evolved a fair bit over time.

“We are a pretty modest business size wise in a commercial sense and we have acquired a couple of vineyards over the 25 years,” he said.

“When we started, we were buying entirely from growers but now 25 per cent of our fruit is from growers and the rest we grow ourselves, so that’s been a big change in the business.

“In the last few years our two sons in their 20s have both got involved in the business, one is vineyard focused and the other one with the winery, which is great, and they are both very talented.

“They love it here and I am excited about the future for them both and it would be great to see them kick on and do better things.”

Mr Schell said they had survived okay in the last year despite the lack of rainfall.
“Last year was really traumatic, if you saw the season on paper there were definitely some challenges but it turned out bizarrely well for us considering and the quality of our grapes were pretty good,” he said.

“It is remarkable when you think about it and we scratch our heads as to how that worked out to be honest as it was pretty nasty for grazers and farmers but we were lucky from a vineyard point of view and growing grapes remarkably well.”

Mr Schell said they had to deal with different challenges with their business which were out of their control at times.

“The toughest things to manage are the environmental factors that you can’t do a hell of a lot about, interest rates and the buoyancy of market, that’s been challenging,” he said.

“It is a tough time and the most restrictive economic environment since we started, I know it will come around and I am sure that’s common for others.

“It is not an easy time and it is going to be a slow climb out of it – the economic environment and selling wine is extremely tough.

“There have also been disruptions with export and the domestic market is on the softer side and it’s not easy.

“We are just grateful to do what we do and we love it and the opportunity to work with your wife and kids is very good most of the time and to do it in a lovely place like the Barossa makes us happy.”