Turkey Flat was born in the year 1847 when Johann Frederick August Fiedler, a Silesian refugee with a passion for winemaking planted Shiraz vines on the alluvial rich land on the banks of Bethany Creek. The pastor who brought the German emigrants to Barossa Valley was brother – in – law to Fiedler. Pastor Kavel decided to settle down on a portion of the land that became one of the first to be surveyed in that area.
This vineyard property is now locally known as Turkey Flat. It is believed to have been named so in the mid – 19th century in reference to the many flocks of native bush turkeys (also called ‘Australian Bustards’) roaming about the area. A local artist by the name of Rod Schubert was hired to design the logo for the brand. It is his creation and portrayal of the Australian Bustard that gives the bottles of Turkey Flat Wines a regal look. Every kind of wine has its own unique turkey to differentiate it from the others.
Now, the famous Section One property is home to the Turkey Flat vineyards and winery, situated right at the heart of the Barossa Valley wine region. Around the mid – 1860s, the Schulz family purchased the estate and inherited the Turkey Flat legacy. In addition to taking care of this historic vineyard, they started a successful butchers’ business, calling it the ‘Bluestone Butchers Shop’. This shop was later renovated and converted into a private tasting as well as wine sales room for the winery and renamed into “The Butcher’s Block Room”.
Turkey Flat wines are crafted using individual vineyard estates. The original Section One vineyard property mainly consists of Grenache and Shiraz along with small portions of Rousanne, Mourvedre and Viognier. The beloved Cabernet Sauvignon variety grows on a small and lush vineyard adjacent to Bethany Creek. The ‘Butchers Block’ blend made up of Grenache, Mourvedre and Shiraz is imported from the Stonewell estate, which is planted on special terra rossa soils covering the land with an underlying limestone base. Marsanne grape plantings also flourish at Stonewell.
Most of the Turkey Flat vineyards thrive on natural rainfall. Even if there is a need to give supplementary water, it is provided only in small amounts. This is done solely for the purpose of maintaining healthy leaves on the plants, not to increase the yield or speed the growth of the fruit. The production capacity of the vineyard ranges from about 10 tonnes per hectare for Rose` grapes to around 2 tonnes per hectare for the Shiraz variety.
All wines produced under the Turkey Flat label are manufactured in the Bethany Road winery with the help of traditional open fermenters. Some of the techniques used by Turkey Flat’s winemaking team include cold maceration, ‘pumping over’, cap plunging and submerged cap fermentation. The process of barrel fermentation is followed by French oak maturation in new as well as seasoned barriques and hogsheads. The quality, flavour and elegance of the wines are further amplified by climate – controlled barrel hall and estate bottling. Try a bottle of any of Turkey Flat wines to get a flavour of this fabulous brand.
Buy Turkey Flat Wines @ https://justwines.com.au/wineries/turkey-flat-wines
Turkey Flat Wines – A Winery from Barossa Valley
