Bella Ridge Estate

Bella Ridge Estate was founded in 2003 by Alon and Jodi Arbel in the Western Australia’s oldest wine region, Swan Valley. Alon, with a background in engineering, had just completed his degree in winemaking when Jodi’s parents happened to drive past an enticing ‘For Sale’ sign. The land being sold was a beautiful 20-acre gravelly loam soiled vineyard with a few sheds. The site was planted in the 1960s with Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Shiraz, and has been grafted over the years to include unique Japanese Kyoho grapes, Viognier, Savagnin, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo and Mourvedre. They bought it shortly thereafter and released their first vintage in 2004. The vineyard is separated into several parcels of fruit hand-picked at varying levels of ripeness while to produce the desired texture and complexity. Winery practices hinge on a low-intervention approach: hand harvest, wild ferments, hand plunging, no fining.