Starrs Reach Vineyard
Riverland , South Australia
Brands
Starrs Reach Vineyard
Winery Overview
Proudly grown on the banks of our mighty Murray River; matured with bright sunshine and rested under a vast dark sky where many stars shine. For six generations our farming family has strived to 'pay it forward' for the benefit of our children, community and environment.
Despite the ‘Riverland’ being Australia’s largest winemaking region by tonnage produced, there is a small undercurrent of exciting and emerging talents…small, boutique producers forming part of the highly successful ‘Riverland Runs Free’ campaign. Starrs Reach is one of those emerging talents to watch out for.
Sheridan and Craig Alm are part of the family team, pushing the boundaries of possibility. As the logo suggests they grow their wine with an awareness that what happens below the ground is as important as what happens above the ground. Using sustainable, climate change ready and low intervention practices in the vineyard and winery allows these wines to tell the stories of the land on which they are grown.
Sheridan completed a degree in Environmental Management and was named Viticulturalist of the Year in the 2019 Australian Women in Wine Awards as well as Riverland Wine Industry Person of the Year at the 2022 Riverland Wine Show. Husband Craig has farming nous of his own after growing up surrounded by Clare Valley vineyards.
‘We’ve been growing grapes for over 20 years but fell in to processing our own wine 10 years ago. Meeting Master of Wine, Giles Cooke in 2014 was a turning point. We sold more and more fruit to him each year and he gave us confidence in what we could achieve with our own fruit.’ Recently, Sam Kim of Wine Orbit, rated all of their wines between 92 and 94 points – a testament to how seriously they are taking their winemaking.
And it’s not just about growing grapes and the winemaking. They take their custodianship to the land seriously. Connection to the land permeates in everything they do. From wetland management and vineyard biodiversity to minimal inputs– which the sun and climate allows. They are also proudly accredited members of the ‘Sustainable Winegrowing Australia’ community, making a difference everyday.
Seeking Distribution in
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam
Chief Winemaker/s
Sheridan Alm (Viticulturalist)
Armand Lacomme (Winemaker)
Winemaker Bio
Sheridan Alm is a skilled viticulturalist and engages a low input and regenerative approach to growing wine to improve the health of the land for future farming generations. Passionate about the sustainable use of the natural resources on which Starrs Reach Vineyard relies, Sheridan was recognised at the Australian Women in Wine Awards as Viticulturalist of the Year in 2019 and also received the honour of Riverland Wine Industry Person of the Year in 2022.
The wines at Starrs Reach Vineyard are hand crafted by the talented Armand Lacomme - a Senior Winemaker at McLaren Vintners. Armand now calls Australia home after growing up in South Africa and studying Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University. Aligning with the values of Starrs Reach Vineyard, Armand is committed to a sustainable and minimal intervention approach to winemaking, allowing the wine to tell the story of the land on which it is grown.
Starrs Reach Vineyard is especially known for the production of premium quality Grenache, a sole contributor to at least five small to large winemaker brands in vintage 2021 alone. Other varieties grown include Durif, Mataro, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
