Welcome to the first of our blogs, in which we introduce some of the great businesses who will be setting up their stalls at the St. Ives Food and Wine Festival on September 9th. And first off the mark is one of the furthest regional producers from the event – See Saw Wine.
The Central NSW city of Orange has become a firm favourite of both food-lovers and wine-connoisseurs alike. With its hatted restaurants and award-winning wineries, the region’s reputation as a producer of fine foods and wines is well-deserved, which is why the St. Ives Food and Wine Festival is lucky to have several wineries from the Orange region displaying their produce on September 9th.
Fine Wines from a Cool Climate
One of the visiting Orange wineries is See Saw Wine, where Pip and Justin Jarrett have been growing grapes and making cool climate wines for over 25 years.
So just what is distinctive about wines from the Orange region? Every region has its special qualities – a unique combination of geology, soils and climate. Orange’s climate means it is perfect for certain types of grape which ripen fully even in cooler climates.
Some wine regions of Australian, such as Tasmania and Mornington peninsular, are cooler either because of their latitude or maritime influence. Not so in Orange where altitude is the key factor. All of See Saw Wine’s vineyards lie above the cool climate threshold of 600 metres.
This means See Saw is perfect for producing such cooler climate wines as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their range includes the only Prosecco produced in the Orange region which has won multiple awards including the top gold award at the 2017 Australian Sparkling Wine Show.
Leaders in sustainability
By 2020 all of See Saw wines will be certified organic – and this doesn’t just mean growing organic grapes. Pip and Justin practice sustainability on a much larger scale. It is about managing natural resources, being water and energy efficient. Recycling as well as reducing environmental waste and constantly looking for improvement in waste reduction.
By reducing traditional farming methods and planting over 1,000 trees, shrubs and native flora, they have seen their waterways regain much needed ground cover which in turn has reduced stream bank erosion. All of the waterways are grassed which acts as a filter to ensure only pristine water leaves the property. The Jarretts have also locked away over 60 hectares of pristine Australian bush as a regeneration area restoring habitat for native fauna and flora such as echidnas, kangaroos, migrating birds and reptiles.
It’s a great example of sustainability not just in the Orange wine-growing region but for Australian farming in general. In fact a University of NSW project to measure carbon output showed the See Saw vineyard has actually stored more carbon than it has released since testing began.
Take a minute to watch See Saw’s recent short video showcasing their vineyard to whet your appetite for a bottle of the finished product when you visit their stall at the Festival on September 9th
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