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| Photo from Thomas Walk Vineyard website. |
I just came across this website for Thomas Walk Vineyard in the South of Ireland. The German winemaker Thomas Walk has been growing grapes and making wine for more than 30 years! They were the first to plant Rondo, formerly called “Amurensis Walk”. It is not Vitis vinifera but rather Vitis amurensis which originated in Asia but was bred in what was once Czechoslovakia. This grape variety was further developed by the vine researcher Helmut Becker, the legendary "Reben-Becker", at the Geisenheim university located in the Rheingau. The variety is now called Rondo and forms the main crop of British viticulturists.
They have been practicing ecologic diversity and sustainability at Thomas Walk Vineyard since the beginning. Their method differs significantly from conventional viticulture and goes beyond the obligations of organic viticulture. They have published a table that highlights the differences between conventional, organic and their methods -- basically total sustainability. They don't use chemicals of any kind, they don't prune vigorously, and they strive for diversity rather than monoculture. Sounds familiar!
They are, however, very secretive and private. They ask for no visitors and sell their wines only through Germany. They do not plant cover crops, just cut what's there and leave as mulch.
Despite several awards noted on their website, the few independent reviews online are not promising. Oh well. Perhaps I'll just have to try some and see for myself.
