Forged from vineyards within the Limestone Coast, our Metal Label range takes standalone varietals to make something exceptional.    

Bob Berton

Bob Berton is a recognizable name throughout Australia.  With his big, Harley-riding personality and now over 30 vintages under his belt, both top grape growers and winemakers know him alike.  While he started in senior management roles for some of Australia’s top estates,   he didn’t found Berton Vineyards until 1996 when he purchased a block of barren land in High Eden, the premium sub region of Barossa Valley.  Completely hands on, Bob established his vineyard from scratch and after successfully establishing this one block he realized he needed more.  In 2005 when the former Southcorp winery in Yenda became available, he jumped on the opportunity.   Keeping the company family owned, Berton Vineyards has successfully grown to one of the 20 largest wineries in Australia as well as being awarded a 4 Star James Halliday Winery.

The Winery

Berton owns a modern production facility located in the regional township of Yenda which has a population of around 1,600 people and is 360 miles southwest of Sydney.   Growing and sourcing from the same first-rate estates each year within the Limestone Coast, in order to build a consistent product.  With this partnership, Berton Vineyards crushes and ferments each vineyard in batches and then grade and blend accordingly.  With an emphasis on all that is casual, friendly and approachable in wine.  

Limestone Coast

Located near the southern tip of South Australia and bordering Victoria, the Limestone Coast produces close to one-third of South Australia’s quality wines.  Within the Limestone Coast are two sub regions that Berton Vineyards focuses on:

Coonawarra

Soil

Coonawarra is famous for its bright red, iron-rich “Terra Rossa” clay soils.  This unique color was caused by iron-oxide (rust) formations within the clay. The vineyards benefit from their great drainage abilities as well as capacity for holding nutrients.  The prime planting region in Coonawarra is a very narrow strip of land approximately 7.5 miles long and around 0.6 miles wide.

Weather

With close proximity to the Southern Ocean, Coonawarra benefits from the maritime climate.  The hot summer weather is tempered by the cool coastal breezes, allowing the vines to cool down and ripen longer.  This longer maturation period allows the fruit to have more depth and concentration.

Varietal Focus

Over fifty percent of all plantings in Coonawarra are Cabernet Sauvignon.  A classic tasting profile would include extracted and integrated tannins which do not overpower the palate with a slightly minty characteristic.

Padthaway

Soil

Featuring a smaller portion of “Terra Rossa” soils, Padthaway is also comprised of brown fine sandy loam soils which sit atop structured clay and limestone.  Similar to Coonawarra, the soils are well-draining and have a healthy water table beneath the sub-soil allowing for very little irrigation.  The region is larger than Coonawarra and spans 38 miles long and around 5 miles wide.

Weather

With a slightly warmer Mediterranean climate than the other Limestone Coast regions, Padthaway has a reliable growing season with mild winters and warm dry summers.  Influenced by the Southern Ocean just miles away, the vines have a longer hang time producing clean and pure fruit flavors.

Varietal Focus

Padthaway grows mineral driven whites with balanced acidity such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are also the two most prominent red grape varieties, which focus on concentration without over extraction