Adelaide Botanic Garden unveils second wine vintage
The second vintage of wines made from grapes grown in the middle of the city at the Adelaide Botanic Garden has been released.
The collaboration last year produced what was believed to have been the world’s first wine made only from grapes grown in a botanic garden.
The 2017 Adelaide Botanic Garden Field Blend Rosé and Dry White follows the inaugural 2016 vintage in the joint venture between the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, The National Wine Centre and Jacob’s Creek Winemakers.
The limited release consists of just 1266 bottles – 733 Rosé and 533 Dry White.
The wines will be available for purchase at the National Wine Centre and by the glass at Adelaide Botanic Garden Café Fibonacci.
This year’s labels feature the Victoria amazonica (Amazon Waterlily), which has first displayed at the Adelaide Botanic Garden in 1868.
The CBD vines are located in the south-eastern section of the Botanic Garden and are managed by the National Wine Centre. The site produces 16 grape varieties, including Shiraz, Merlot, Tempranillo and Riesling, and has been used since 2011 as a demonstration of drought-tolerant vine varieties suitable for South Australia’s climate.
The partnership will extend to a third exclusive vintage in 2018.
Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia Director Dr Lucy Sutherland says the wines help tell key stories about the importance of plants to our daily lives and to South Australia’s identity.
“The importance of premium wine to South Australia’s economy is well known, but the product is also woven into the state’s cultural fabric, with South Australia having some of the oldest grape vines in the world,” she says.
“Carrying on the ancient tradition of transforming grapes into wine in the heart of the city with two of South Australia’s most esteemed institutions is a real treat.”
National Wine Centre general manager Adrian Emeny says the feedback from locals and tourists about the 2016 field blends has been positive.
“Now we’re excited to see what visitors think of the second vintage.”
This article was first published on The Lead.