Anton VON KLOPPER

Anton Von Klopper was born in South Africa, but after a 10-year stint in the restaurant business (chef and sommelier at the Ritz Carlton Group, after all!), his life turned to the wine side of the Force, to the Adelaide Hills, becoming one of Australia's most creative and cutting-edge winemakers.

After graduating - with honours - from the renowned University of Adelaide's School of Enology, he spent the next few years travelling the world, working in Germany, New Zealand and at Winery Serene in Oregon. " I was fortunate to work with many winemakers who challenged my preconceptions of winemaking. At Winery Serene, I realized that all great wines express what they are made from, the terroir and Grape variety, and that everything else is just noise. A good winemaker must have an intimate knowledge of each part of his vineyard.

In 2002, along with his wife Sally and daughter Lucy, Anton purchased a 20-acre cherry orchard and began creating their own Winery, focusing on Pinot Noir. Anton will now be a flamboyant member of the Basket Range wine community.

But Anton is not " just " a winemaker, he is also a keen experimenter, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Massal selections, free-run vineyards, non-irrigation, biodynamic viticulture, all practices that are unusual in this part of the New World when he starts. The same philosophy extends to the other Adelaide Hills sites he sources from.

Hand picked, grapes de-stemmed then minimal intervention, very minimal. No added sulphur. At all!