BEGINNING the year in a significant way, a new wine label entered the Riverland region in February, and have already had great success.
Located in Waikerie, and proving popular among locals following releases at the launch night, the Riverland Food and Wine Festival, and at its warehouse wine sale over the Easter weekend, the business have already begun making waves in the region.
The importance of being a family-owned business remains strong at Freestone Estate, in what is an ever-growing field.
“We’re a family owned winery, and 80 per cent of our grapes come from the family that own the winery as well,” sales and logistics co-ordinator Shelby Colbert said.
“We recently rebranded and released our own bottled stock as well, but we’ve now stepped into a different field of the wine industry.
“Vintage started early and finished relatively early, and towards the end of it, the grapes dried out more than usual, so there’s a lot less yield compared to previous vintages.
“The wine quality is coming out really well, and our winemaker, Mel, is amazing at her job with knowing when to pick and crush, as well as knowing what the grapes need when they come in.”
Having taken up business in the Riverland back in 2015, the wine label was only released in 2025, and Ms Colbert said one of the biggest challenges has been changing the mindset of its customers.
The Riverland wine industry is enormous in itself, and pushing the local label has been a key focus at Freestone Estate.
“A lot of people don’t think that they like Riverland wine, even though we are one of the biggest suppliers in the world,” she said.
“With our Riverland wine, we’re really pushing the Riverland label, and trying to change how people feel and think about it.
“I think it’s just adjusting to the market, and the wineries need to stick to all of the same plans, so that we’re doing it together.”
Still hoping to break into the market, family members of Freestone Estate can often be seen at public events, helping buyers gain a local feel, and answer any questions available to them.
“We’re very family driven, and we talk about being family owned a lot, so it’s very important to us,” Ms Colbert said.
“You’ll see that when we hold events our owners are always there, so you can really see the family dynamic on show in the public eye.
“For us, it’s just pushing that the Riverland wine region is a good one, and taking as many opportunities as we can get to show the Riverland wine.”
