What’s behind a name? We discuss how wines get their names. Including our Magenta– exclusive to our winery.
There are two main ways a wine gets its name: the grape used to make it, or the region it was grown in. A very simple example is a Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre wine– blended from those three grape varieties.
But here’s where it gets complicated: a Pinot Noir is grown from Pinot Noir grapes. And a Burgundy is made from those same grapes. But in a different place– in the Burgundy region of France.
Regional specificities mean so much to wine– this sits behind the concept of terroir. Terroir refers to the complete environmental backdrop against which the wine is grown. It can even refer to the harvesting and cultivation techniques used. But even if these cultivation practices were mirrored to a tee, soil and climate would ensure differences in the wine’s eventual taste. Millions of year in the making, soil compositions of granite, limestone, clay play their role in role in creating the wines’ intricacies. Wine producers have little control over these soils– only whether or not they establish vines there. And of course, nobody can control the weather…
The Heathcote Region– famous for its Shiraz– has a unique red soil. It’s this soil that is considered a key factor in the production of the wines– you couldn’t produce a wine with the same profile anywhere else.
You’ll note that we have our own Heathcote Shiraz, as part of our Tatalia range. Another smaller region where we grow our Shiraz is the Perricoota region– one of Australia’s smallest but most promising. Our vines are planted not far from the Murray River and enjoy the healthy water supply as well as red clay soils enriched by its red gum forests. This is where we grow the grapes for our Magenta wine.
Magenta is special– it named neither for its region nor the grapes used to produce it. Breaking convention, we chose a name that reflected the character of the completed wine– not just its growing environment. For this sweet red, it is the perfect name. Full flavoured, perfumed, intense fruit flavours– the name fits.
We created something that followed our desires, rather than convention. We know by its popularity, too, that those who taste it love it just as much as we do. It goes to show that conventions– whether they’re around naming or producing– are never set in stone. Taste the fruits of our experimentation here– try our Magenta.