Charles Melton Wines

Charles Melton Wines is an Australian winery based in Tanunda, within the Barossa Valley wine region of South Australia.

Charles Melton Wines
LocationTanunda, South Australia, Australia
AppellationBarossa Valley (wine)
Founded1986
Key peopleCharles Melton
Virginia Weckert
Cases/yr15,000
Known forNine Popes
VarietalsGrenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Websitehttp://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au

History
90-year-old Grenache vines at Charles Melton Winery

Charles Melton was first introduced to winemaking as a career at Hurlstone Agricultural High School.[1]

Melton worked as a cellar hand at Krondorf Wines between 1974 and 1976, before moving to Saltram Wines to work with Andrew Wigan and Peter Lehmann.[1]

In 1979 Saltram was sold to Seagram and Melton followed Lehmann to work at the newly established Peter Lehmann Wines.[1]

Melton continued work at Peter Lehmann Wines until 1986 when he and his wife Virginia established Charles Melton Wines.[1]

Charles Melton has been credited as "single-handedly reviving the grenache grape in Australia".[2]

On 20 October 2007, Melton was inducted into the "Barons of the Barossa", an organisation that recognises people that have made a significant contribution to the Barossa Valley wine community.[1]

Wines

About 15,000 cases of wine are produced each vintage.[3]

The best known wine produced by Charles Melton is the Nine Popes. It is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre.[4] The first vintage of this wine was produced in 1988,[5] and it was the first GSM blend made in the Barossa Valley.[6] Langton's Classification of Australian Wine placed this wine at the level of "Excellent" in 2000 and "Distinguished" in 2005 and 2010.[7]

A rosé style wine made from Grenache, and named Rose of Virginia after his wife[5] "is regarded as one of Australia's best roses".[8][9]

See also

List of wineries in the Barossa Valley

References
  1. "Charles Melton". Barons of the Barossa. 20 October 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  2. "New York Times – EN ROUTE: Australia; One Superstar Wine Deserves Another". Nytimes.com. 13 October 1999. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  3. "Australian Wine Companion – Charles Melton". 34.5536730000,138.9530640000: Winecompanion.com.au. Retrieved 21 September 2011.CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. "Barossa rides again". Independent.co.uk. 3 February 1996. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  5. "Charles Melton". Langtons.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  6. Halliday, James (2006). Wine Atlas of Australia. University of California Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-520-25031-4.
  7. "Langton's Classification History". Langtons.com.au. 14 July 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  8. "Think pink: the future's looking rose for Australian wine". SMH. 13 August 2006. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  9. Brook, Stephen (1 February 2002). "A welcome change". Decanter. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
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