Maker:
Giaconda Wines was founded by Rick Kinzbrunner, a mechanical engineer who followed his passion for winemaking, starting the estate in 1982 in the Beechworth wine region. After honing his craft internationally, working at renowned wineries in France, California, and New Zealand, Rick brought his expertise to the rolling hills of Beechworth, planting vines in soils well-suited to quality wine production. With a focus on Burgundy-inspired varieties, particularly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz, Rick’s vision was to create wines that expressed the true character of the land. Today, the estate is still guided by Rick’s unwavering passion for winemaking, with his son Nathan Kinzbrunner continuing to uphold the family’s legacy and producing wines with exceptional depth, balance, and character. The estate’s commitment to organic farming, sustainability, and a hands-off winemaking approach ensures that every bottle of Giaconda wine reflects the unique terroir of Beechworth and the dedication of those behind it.
Philosophy/Vineyard:
At Giaconda, the philosophy centres on crafting wines that respect and reflect the unique terroir of Beechworth, allowing the land to speak for itself. The estate is committed to sustainable and organic viticulture, achieving full organic certification in 2011. The vineyard’s cool climate and low-fertility soils provide the perfect environment for growing high-quality grapes, with varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thriving in the region. The focus is on minimal intervention both in the vineyard and the winery, where gentle handling and traditional techniques are employed. The vineyard is hand-pruned and managed with careful attention to vine health, ensuring low yields that result in wines of great concentration and complexity.
The winemaking process at Giaconda is deliberately subtle, aiming for balance and elegance in every vintage. Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation, with minimal sulphur and no filtration before bottling. The winery is equipped with gravity-flow systems, which means that the wines are handled with the utmost care, avoiding mechanical pumps to maintain the integrity of the fruit. The wines are aged in French oak barrels and deep underground in a granite maturation cave, which offers ideal conditions for slow, controlled ageing. Giaconda’s wines are celebrated for their complexity, freshness, and the ability to showcase the true essence of Beechworth’s terroir, with a focus on purity, finesse, and long-term ageing potential.
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