The Vineyards Behind Our Grenache
Vino Volta's Grenache comes from old, low-yielding vines planted by the Scampoli family at the foot of the Darling Scarp in the Swan Valley, Western Australia. The site features gravel and sand over coffee rock, dry-grown bush vines, and a 35-year-old trellised block. Picked earlier than is traditional in the Valley, the result is Grenache that's bright, perfumed and medium-bodied rather than big and jammy.
Why Swan Valley Grenache?
Grenache is historic, a little forgotten and yet a star variety of the Swan Valley. The Valley is Western Australia's oldest wine region (the first vines went in back in 1829) and for most of the 20th century its Grenache disappeared into fortifieds and bulk reds. So while Grenache as a varietal wasn't common in the region, we did have dry-grown vines that are now 35 to 65+ years old.
I started working in the Swan Valley in 2009, at Houghton. The Valley had a commercial reputation, but vintage after vintage I kept finding pockets of really high-quality fruit. Especially with Chenin Blanc and Grenache – these old varieties particularly seemed tolerant of what traditionally was thought of as adverse conditions. In fact they seemed to perform better for them. I didn't think Western Australia needed another Chardonnay or another Cabernet, plenty of people are already doing those really well, so Kristen McGann and I set up Vino Volta in the Swan Valley to showcase some of the less common varietals, including to produce Grenache in a way we hadn't seen in WA before. Premium, but not heavy.
What are gravel and sand over coffee rock soils?
They're lean, free-draining soils that run along the base of the Darling Scarp on the Swan Valley's eastern side. In our eyes, they're the best soil in the Valley for Grenache, with gravel and sand topsoil made up of ironstone gravel washed off the Scarp, mixed with sand that drains fast and holds very little fertility. Below is a hard, dark-brown layer of compacted ironstone, clay and sand (coffee rock) at depths in excess of 1m that's full of cracks and fissures, and a clay subsoil underneath that holds moisture right through summer. Why it works for Grenache:
Low vigour, low yield. Poor, acidic topsoil keeps the vines from running wild, so the flavour goes into a small crop.
Water when it counts. Roots find the cracks in the coffee rock and push through to the moisture in the clay. That's how old vines stay dry-grown through a Swan Valley summer.
Very little disease. Fast drainage plus dry, breezy summers. Simple as that.
We don't irrigate to chase yield. Warm and hot regions with a lot of sunlight have the ability to ripen large crops. With plenty of water and fertilizer within Australia regions like the Riverland and Riverina have done this in the past and ripen large commercial crops. Now we are fighting the reputation that warm regions make inferior wines. These regions along with us and many other warm regions around the world are proving this wrong. Old vines, appropriate varieties in a warm-to-hot climate, good soil plus little or no water (just enough to keep the vines healthy) is how you get really premium-tasting wine.
Where do the Swan Valley's soils come from?
The Swan Valley's best soils come from outside the Swan Valley. The Swan River starts way out in the Wheatbelt, around York and beyond, and cuts through the Darling Range before it reaches the Valley. Over the millennia it has flooded and receded again and again, carrying sediment down from those inland regions and dropping it across the Valley floor. That gave us two very different kinds of vineyard land:
Along the river: loams. Fine, silty red and grey loams settled beside the river. Some of the best soils for white varieties, and where we source our Chenin Blanc. It's also where the first settlers farmed from 1829. The river was the main road, so properties started at the water and ran back towards the Range.
At the base of the Scarp: gravel and sand. Some of the same parent material, but coarser, sitting over coffee rock. In my opinion that's where we get our best reds. Especially Grenache.
Which vineyards does our Grenache come from?
Our Grenache comes from vines planted by the Scampoli family near the base of the Darling Scarp. All gravel and sand over coffee rock. All hand-picked.
Wine | Vines | Vine Age | Training | Soil |
Pezzonovante | Dry-grown bush vines | 50+ years | Bush vines, east west rows | Gravel and sand over coffee rock |
Post Modern Seriousism | Scampoli Vineyard | 35+ years | Lazy vertical trellis, east-west rows | Gravel and sand over coffee rock |
The old bush vines - Pezzonovante
Our oldest Grenache: dry-grown bush vines, 50+ years old, naturally low-yielding and low-vigour.
We shoot-thin early season to open up the canopy and expose the bunches up to early-season sun. That builds thicker skins and deeper colour. Thicker skins mean more flavour, and they protect the fruit later in the season, when the midsummer sun is directly overhead and the canopy does the shading.
This is our premium red. Only the best barrels make the cut. Ray Jordan gave it 96/100 in his Western Australian Wine Review 2026.
The Scampoli Vineyard - Post Modern Seriousism
Planted more than 35 years ago near the base of the Scarp. The rows run east-west and the vines sit on a "lazy" vertical trellis, the structure is spur pruned but somewhat 3 dimensional so heading towards bush vine structure and this ensures the bunches get dappled light rather than full sun. Exactly what you want in our climate.
We farm it organically (not certified). No herbicide or synthetic fertiliser. A mixed cover crop with legumes, chicken manure and fish and seaweed emulsions puts organic matter and nitrogen back into that lean soil.
The 2023 scored 92 points from James Halliday (2025).
Why do we pick earlier than is traditional in the Swan Valley?
Short answer: freshness.
Leave Grenache hanging in a Swan Valley summer and it piles on sugar, drops its acid and slides into jammy, high-alcohol, raisined territory. That suited the Valley's fortified tradition. It doesn't suit the wines we want to drink.
Picking earlier gives us:
Brighter fruit. Raspberry, wild strawberry and cherry rather than stewed or dried fruit.
Natural acidity. Enough freshness that we rarely need to touch it in the winery.
Moderate alcohol. 13.5-14%. Medium-bodied and made for the table.
Finer tannins. With some whole bunch and gentle, Pinot-style handling, they're fine and long rather than drying.
Aromatics. Florals, earth and dried herbs. The stuff that disappears in overripe fruit.
Work in the vineyard, yielding down has encouraged smaller berries and better flavours. Early-season sun gets the skins and tannins ripening sooner, so the fruit tastes complete at lower sugar.
What does our Grenache taste like?
Bright, modern, medium-bodied Grenache.
Pezzonovante is very pretty: ripe cherry and raspberry, rose petal, a mix of floral and earthy tones, dried herbs, and plenty of fine savoury tannins giving it shape and carry.
Post Modern Seriousism is juicier and more aromatic: wild strawberry and sour cherry, with a bit of everything - florals, truffles and sarsaparilla. Juicy up front, precision and structure to finish.
Both are built for food. Both are great with a touch of chill in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Vino Volta's Grenache grown?
Vino Volta's Grenache is grown in the Swan Valley, Western Australia, on old vineyards near the base of the Darling Scarp, about 25 km north-east of Perth.
How old are the Grenache vines?
The oldest are dry-grown bush vines more than 50 years old, used for Pezzonovante. The Scampoli Vineyard, used for Post Modern Seriousism, is more than 35 years old. Within the region many vines are 65 years old and there are even 100 year old grenache vines.
Why is gravel and sand over coffee rock good for Grenache?
It's lean and free-draining, so vines grow small crops of concentrated, thick-skinned fruit. Roots still find water in the clay below, so old vines can grow without irrigation.
Where do the Swan Valley's soils come from?
Most were carried in by the Swan River, which brings sediment down from the Wheatbelt through the Darling Range. Fine loams settled beside the river, while coarser gravel and sand sit at the base of the Darling Scarp.
Why pick Grenache early in a warm climate?
Picking earlier keeps natural acidity, moderate alcohol, fine tannins and fresh red-fruit flavours. Late-picked Swan Valley Grenache tends toward jammy, heavy wines. Vino Volta picks its Grenache in late January through to mid-February depending on the season.
Is Vino Volta Grenache organic?
The Scampoli Vineyard is farmed organically but isn't certified. No herbicides or synthetic fertilisers are used. We cover crop and use chicken manure along with fish and seaweed emulsions for nutrition, increasing soil health keeping vines and leaves healthy and resilient.
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