THE AUSTRALIAN ARK – Federation to the Modern Era | 1900–1982
station’ for maturation. Houses, the article said, ‘rough-casted on the outside to keep them cool’ and with hot and cold running water, were offered to workers so that they would be ‘satisfied, contented and take a greater interest in their work’. In 1920, Penfolds built another winery and distillery at Eden Valley township, in the ranges east of Nuriootpa. Initially, the wine was vinified at Eden Valley and taken to Nuriootpa for maturing. However, as road transport improved, the winery was converted into maturation cellars for sherry. In the same year, Penfolds marketed its first light dry white wine, Penfolds Minchinbury Trameah, based originally on savagnin, locally known as traminer. This variety had been brought out to New South Wales as sauvignon du Jura by James Busby in 1832 and survived because it had been planted out at George Wyndham’s Dalwood vineyards in 1834, who, according to vigneron Chris Bourke of Sons & Brothers vineyard, had planted out more vines at Inverell in Northern New South Wales. During this time, winemakers Alfred Scholz and Albert ‘Alf’ Vesey were a dominant force in the Penfolds hierarchy. They oversaw almost every aspect of wine production between World Wars I and II. The discipline at Penfolds was rigorous, with a strong set of rules and regulations for workers. Scholz, who had been a gold miner in his early days, was instrumental in Penfolds’ post-World War I expansion of production. He had joined Penfolds as a cellarhand in 1913 and had worked his way up the ladder to being the winemaker and manager at the Nuriootpa winery. In response to new legislation and wine-drinking habits, Scholz also established Penfolds’ solera system and
Champagne shaking table made for Leo Buring by Clyde Engineering, 1920. Leo Buring, ca 1920. [NLA obj-160427254-1]
[Wikicommons 2820263841]
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