Alkoomi
Great Southern , Western Australia
Winery Overview
Alkoomi Wines is one of Western Australia’s largest family owned and operated wineries. Owners Sandy and Rod Hallett, along with their daughters Laura, Emily and Molly, represent the third and fourth generation living and working on the property in Frankland River.
The original 1220 hectare property was purchased by Sandy’s grandparents in 1946 and initially operated as a mixed grain and livestock farm. It was grandma Netta who chose the name “Alkoomi”, a local Aboriginal word meaning “a place we chose”.
Their son, Merv Lange took over the property and in 1971 he and his wife, Judy, made the bold decision to plant just one hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and a little Shiraz and Malbec. Following their initial vintage of just 4 tonnes in 1976 and instead of just selling their grapes, they decided to make the wine themselves, building a winery in time for the 1979 vintage.
Soon Merv and Judy began to taste success with many awards at wine shows around Australia, becoming ambassadors for the emerging Frankland River wine region.
In 2005, both Merv and Judy were awarded the WA Wine Press Club’s coveted Jack Mann Memorial Medal for their outstanding contribution to the wine industry and for pioneering the Frankland wine region.
The year 2010 saw a change of hands at Alkoomi, and with that some changes in direction. Sandy and Rod Hallett, (Merv and Judy’s daughter and son-in-law), both of whom have been instrumental in the successful running of the vineyard and winery for many years, took the lead and with their three daughters, Laura, Emily and Molly have a similar respect and love for Alkoomi. Together the family will ensure that the business continues to grow on the strong foundations laid by Merv and Judy some forty years ago.
In recent years, Alkoomi has embarked upon a journey to minimize its carbon footprint. The installation of a 30kW solar energy panel on the roof of the winery, together with a major upgrade to the tank refrigeration system has certainly enhanced its sustainability and bodes well for the future of this family business.
Available in
Canada, China, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, UK, USA
Seeking Distribution in
Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, Vietnam
Winemaker Bio
Born and bred farming in South Africa's Western Cape, Marelize completed her Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University in 2006. After completing two seasons working for the same winery where her family has been delivering fruit for generations, Marelize spent the next few years working overseas gaining experience in some of the best-known grape growing regions, including Marlborough in New Zealand and California in the US.
2009 was finally the year when Marelize joined the Western Australian Wine Industry and specifically Frankland River for good, where she has worked her way up from vintage cellar crew to senior winemaking roles during the last 12 years.
Marelize joined our winemaking team in 2019. From day one she has made no secret of her formula for wines of exceptional quality. Estate grown fruit, gentle winemaking practices and strong team culture.
