Bruce and Jenni Chalmers had a vision for the future of Australian wine that led them outside the square, turning to Mediterranean varieties in a quest for quality and sustainability.
The Chalmers story began near Euston NSW on the mighty Murray in 1989 where Bruce and Jenni ran Chalmers Nurseries and created one of Australia's most diverse vineyards with over 70 different varieties, mostly Italian selections introduced by Chalmers themselves. The cutting-edge vineyard establishment and management techniques used at this vineyard made it an industry leader in sustainable practice and water efficiency.
Now they have scaled down a little to two smaller vineyards: one in Heathcote where they produce the fruit for their eponymous label of only Italian varieties, and the other in Merbein near Mildura where the full Chalmers Italian-varietal collection is housed.
Bruce and Jenni have championed varieties like Vermentino, Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Sagrantino and Aglianico believing they will be integral to the future of Australian wine as our already dry continent becomes dryer and warmer and we search for more sustainable ways to make distinctive quality wines.