We’ve all seen those glitzy gold stickers on wine bottles, right? They promise quality, but do they always deliver? At Upper Reach, our family-owned Swan Valley winery, we’re uncorking the truth about wine show medals, the history behind them, and whether they’re a true measure of wine excellence. So, grab a glass, and let’s find out…
I want my own vine, how can I get one?Where do vines come from? If you’ve ever wanted your own grape vine, here’s how to do it! Hey there, vine enthusiasts! Ever dreamt of having your very own grape vine?Well, you’re in luck because I’m here to spill the beans (or should I say grapes?)…
We do love dogs at Upper Reach, but we’ve had a few crazy days with so many dogs it has felt a bit like a doggy daycare. So very sadly we have to ask you to leave your dog at home. 😔
Well what a vintage 2023 was! We must have done something right to have had such amazing conditions. After a ridiculously wet winter, the Swan River broke its banks again and completely flooded the lower part of our vineyard. This was followed by a beautiful mild spring, which turned into a relatively mild summer for the Swan.This gave us…
Today I’m doing fining trials on a white wine. Fining is when look at each wine and decide if we need to soften it, by removing any excess tannin or bitter hints.I can also remove any proteins that could make the wine hazy. This is why I always do a fining trial for each wine….
We’re asked about ‘alternative grape varieites’ at our Cellar Door and I read heaps of wine articles about them…perhaps because journos are always looking for ‘something new’ to fill their column? For many people Verdelho & Chenin Blanc are ‘alternative varietals’, they are both classic grape varieties, with a history of making world class, age-able…
We’re called Upper Reach, because we’re situated on the Upper Reach’s of the Swan River, and gosh don’t we know it today? Behind me this is all usually vineyard…not a raging river. Our Shiraz vines are completely submerged right now, that water is deeper than me. Will this flood effect the vines? How does flooding…
Have you ever been to a winery, looked at the tasting notes and wondered if you’d stepped into your local fruit & veggie shop by mistake? Where do flavours of grapefruit, peach, rockmelon, lime, tobacco and dark chocolate come from? Does the winemaker squeeze the juice out of all this fruit and add it to…
The what, the where & the feed me more! The weather is starting to turn from those dazzling summer days into the vibrant hues of chilly Autumn and bringing with it the all important question of “Breakfast, where?”. The most asked question that we are getting at the moment from both cottage guests and (early) wine tasters…
It’s always the perfect time to look at a couple of guilty (or not so guilty) pleasures. Wine and chocolate. We know about wine and food pairings … it’s generally said that white wine goes well with seafood and red wine with rich meats. But what wine matches with chocolate: All you really need to know…
These are our favourite places, that we take friends to give them a taste of what the Swan Valley has to offer. Check off those big ticket items like koalas and kangaroos, as well as a world-class wine region, breweries and fresh local produce just 45 minutes from the CBD. This list was created for…
Winter 2021 was the wettest in Perth that most of us can remember, one of the wettest since records began☔. The Swan River has risen up, broken its banks and now we’ve got the Swan River running right through our vineyard🍇- imagine the volumn of water that has flown through! The grapes for our Reserve…