Ricca Terra, Riverland SA
Ricca Terra is the creation of husband & wife team, Ashley & Holly Ratcliff. In 2003 they purchased their first vineyard in Barmera, South Australia.
Their vision was to plant, nurture & make wine from grape varieties best suited to Australia’s warm & dry climate. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot quickly made way for Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano, Tinta Barroca, Fiano, Vermentino and many other Mediterranean varieties.
Ricca Terra is recognised for its innovation, leadership & vision, which helps contribute to the future reputation & excitement of Australian Wine. Winner of the Gourmet Traveller Viticulturist of the Year, Ashley & Holly have challenged tradition & forged lasting change with their vineyards & wines.
'Bullets Before Cannonballs
Varietal Mix
Mediterranean red grape varietal blend (Tempranillo, Lagrein, Aglianico, Nero d’Avola & Durif).
The Blend
The red grapes used to make this wine are some of the standout Mediterranean varieties found planted in Australia. Ashley’s aim was to craft a wine that ‘shouted a statement’ to the world that blends of Mediterranean grape varieties grown in the Riverland would make great wines. The bullets have been shot…..now for the cannonball!
The Story
Mythology has it, ‘inexperienced sailors were defeated by enemy ships as a result of firing cannonballs that missed their targets. Such defeats could have been avoided if the trajectory of the cannonball was calculated prior to being fired. Experienced sailors did this by firing bullets first. While a single bullet could never sink an enemy’s ship, it allowed for the precise calculation of how high and wide the cannonball should be shot…….to ensure a fatal hit occurred’
Ricca Terra Farms has taken the ‘fire bullets before cannonballs’ philosophy when it comes to planting new grape varieties. Rather than mass planting a new grape variety and then learning how it behaves as a vine and as a wine, Ricca Terra Farms’ approach has been to plant small plots of a new grape variety; then watch, wait and learn (firing bullets). When the right bullet is identified, the cannonball is loaded and fired……meaning the grape variety is introduced into Ricca Terra Farms’ grape variety portfolio.
