The vines are grown in ‘red sandy clay loam’. Louisa’s Vineyard lies up against the western flank of the Mudgee hills (Central Ranges) receiving alluvium from the catchment at the exit of Sapling Gully, Henry Lawson’s playground as a teenager. Cold winters and very hot days in summer can be experienced, though some protection is afforded by the magnificent stand of yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) and river gum( Corumbia camaldulensis) from the NE. Every 5 years the inter-rows are disturbed and reseeded.

Shiraz (or Syrah) is the seventh most popular grape variety grown on earth.
With the advent of DNA, researchers have established conclusively that it originates in SE France in the northern Rhone district.
Dureza(father) and Mondeuse Blanche(mother) are the grafts. It is also known as Hermitage/ Antourenein Noir/ Condive/ Entournerein/ Hignin Noir/ Marsanne Noir Shiraz is one of the great varieties of the Australian wine industry and is now planted extensively throughout the major wine producing regions. It is a variety that performs particularly well in Mudgee producing a distinctive regional flavours that differ from the Barossa or Hunter valleys.
The flavours are enhanced by the nature of Andrew’s non-irrigated vineyard at Louisa’s on Henry Lawson Drive, Mudgee.
The vines worked hard all their 20-40 years in dry weather to draw moisture from very deep in the earth. With that water comes sub-soil nutrient which is difficult to replicate unnaturally.