Our Approach

A deep love of the land and values centred on family and community are at the heart of Terrey Johnson's and his wife Barbie's drive to share the exceptional quality of the grapes and wine their Bantry Grove vineyard produces. Bantry Grove makes the joys of their great Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir cool climate wines affordable because the Johnson family approaches every decision with people and quality of life in mind not simply profits.

Terrey Johnson has lived on the land all of his life and it was during his time studying for his Rural Science Degree at the University of New England in Armidale in the 1960s that he became enthralled by ecology. His holistic approach to the land and his passion and perfectionism are the common bonds he has with viticulturalist Tim Esson and winemaker Richard Parker who are devoted to winemaking according to harvesting and maturation requirements not production targets.

Terrey Johnson and Tim Esson tend the vines throughout the season according to plans for each grape variety determining the amount of water, foliage, and exposure to sunlight the grapes get. Their objective is to achieve exactly the right amount of ripening needed to produce fruit of exceptional quality and flavour, of a consistently high standard from one year to the next for each vintage.

Bantry Grove strives to ensure its wines are amongst the best cool climate Australian wines while keeping them affordable and nurturing relationships with wine lovers from all walks of life. Terrey and his family take great personal and professional pride in producing high quality wines that honour the land and carry his family name. The notes he provides on what happens in the vineyard and winery, during the growing and making of Bantry Grove wines, are always honest and insightful.

Working closely together, Terrey Johnson and Tim Esson manage the vines' growth with complete sensitivity to the soil, climate and weather conditions, using crop thinning and shoot thinning techniques where necessary. Their attention to detail includes temperature checks where they literally feel the vine leaves with their hands. This may result in leaf plucking on the morning side of the vine rows and ridges and shading on the afternoon side, depending on the the grape variety.

The intensity of this approach to producing wine reaches a crescendo as harvest time draws closer. At this stage Terrey Johnson and Tim Esson constantly taste the fruit until they are convinced the time is right for harvesting. The meticulous hand-crafted nature of the whole approach to winemaking at Bantry Grove extends to hand-picking by flavour at different times from different rows depending on what Terrey Johnson and Tim Esson decide will yield the highest quality and the best flavour.

Self-confessed perfectionist, winemaker Richard Parker then has the enviable task of bringing out the complexity of what he regards as parcels of fruit consistently amongst the best of their variety for each vintage for cool climate Australian wines. Working closely with Terrey Johnson on the style and direction of the wines Richard Parker fine tunes Bantry Grove wines with absolute care allowing time for the grapes to soak and ferment properly, and doing oak trials each year to assess the ability of different barrels to enhance the particular wine's style.