Bethany Wines

About Winery and Wines

The Schrapel family owns 38 hectares of vineyard comprising the Bethanien Vineyard, the Manse Vineyard, the Homestead Vineyard and the Bethany Quarry Vineyard. Established on the eastern slopes of the Barossa Ranges, the Schrapel Family Vineyards are situated in a unique microclimate along the foothills. The vineyards face the prevailing weather coming from the west resulting in increased rainfall catchment. The Homestead and Quarry vineyards situated below the Bethany cellar door collect the increased run-off from the surrounding hills replenishing the subsoil moisture. Cooling gully breezes fan the vineyards during the spring and summer months creating a special microclimate that allows a gradual, extended ripening period. This allows the grapes to achieve good sugar and acid levels without becoming over-ripe. The older vineyards require specialised management practices. The traditional planting techniques of the vineyard with wider row spacing and wider vine spacing, follow the contours of the Bethany Ranges. Care is taken to maintain the vine health and productivity of these old vineyards, ensuring their future longevity. Much of the work on the vineyards is done by hand. Vines are hand pruned to ensure the right bud numbers and canopy structure, and the highest quality fruit is hand picked. The vines are pruned hard leaving 50 to 70 buds per vine thereby limiting yield potential and concentrating the vines' goodness into fewer bunches.