Jane Brook Estate Wines is located 20 km north east of Perth, in the historic wine region of the Swan Valley. It is a 14 hectare property, 11 hectare of which is under vines. The major varieties planted are Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot.

A second vineyard in Margaret River produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot.

Over the past five years the home vineyard at Jane Brook has been extended and replanted to replace less productive and less popular varieties with premium table wine varieties.

 

All vines are grafted onto rootstocks selected for both soil type and nematode resistance. The soils at Jane Brook are varied and include, sand/gravel over clay, clay and alluvial. The vines are constantly monitored by way of soil, leaf and petiole analysis for any nutrient deficiencies, particularly nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Fertiliser application is achieved by way of broadcasting, foliar sprays and by fertigation via the irrigation system.

As in most vineyards in Western Australia the natural rainfall needs to be supplemented by irrigation, usually from dams or underground. At Jane Brook two bores provide water via trickle/drip irrigation to the vines, watering is done mainly at night.
Irrigation is controlled to avoid excessive vegetative growth which results in fruit shading with a consequent negative effect on grape composition.

At Jane Brook two trellising systems are in place, the traditional T trellis and the newer single wire vertical trellis with shoot positioning using movable foliage wires, vertical shoot positioning known as VSP. VSP is an excellent system for the Swan Valley, allowing good air movement through the canopy with less fungal disease problems. Using this system the vines leaves work better as they are orientated towards the sunlight and there is very little excessive shading of the fruit. The Jane Brook Shiraz is produced from very old (60 years plus) reworked vines using the VSP system, and, the wines produced are in great demand throughout Western Australia.

The vine rows are mulched and mowed in preference to ploughing which tends to destroy the soil and encourage erosion. Under vine weed control is effected both pre-emergent and post-emergent weedicide. Trials are being conducted with the application of thick layers of mulch under the vines to enable better water and fertiliser uptake for the vine.

Jane Brook`s wine quality relies to a very large part on the quality of the vines and the proper care and maintenance of the vineyard is a critical factor in the success of our wines.