De Salis was established in 1999 as a ‘garage-ister’ winery located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches by research scientist Charlie Svenson. Known as ‘The Francateers’, Charlie, Martin Ostrowski and Andrew Collins produced award-wining wine from premium Cabernet Franc sourced from famed artisan wine maker Murray Smith of Canobolas-Smith.
Cowra Wine Show – First Wine Medal for De Salis
Wine made at Canobolas Smith, Alexandria Vineyard from Orange GI fruit.
Pilgrimage to Burgundy.
Pilgrimage to Champagne, burgundy.
Established our own winery and made our First Vintage from Lofty Vineyard.
Lofty Vineyard was Purchased.
Lofty Vineyard was first planted in 1993 to Chardonnay and Merlot by renowned Orange horticulturalist, David Gartrell. Subsequent plantings have increased the vineyard area to 9Ha.
Vineyard work: grafting Merlot to PN 777 and more 114 & 115, as well as Pinot Meunier.
Cellar Door Opens at Lofty Vineyard.
Made our first bubbles: 2010 Lofty Cuvee.
Snow, lost 65% of the vintage (great for bubbles and Chardonnay).
Mitch’s first Vintage as cellar hand.
Converted more merlot to: PN; 667, Abel).
Bubbles: made first vintage Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rose (de Saignee).
Purchased Forest Edge Vineyard.
Bubbles: started a set of Solera tanks and barrels.
Commissioned the bottling line.
Mitch starts as fulltime Assistant Winemaker.
Purchased, riddling machine and disgorging machine.
Ben Starts.
New Winery Construction Commences.
Gourmet Traveller Wine Awards De Salis Wines – Top 50 Wine Experiences in the World.
Decanter Magazine UK – Rated 2014 Blanc de Blancs 96 Points
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