Marri Wood Park is a boutique family run and owned, Demeter certified biodynamic vineyard. Established 1992 in Yallingup, Western Australia, located on Caves Road, a stone throw from Smiths Beach.
Our biodynamic philosophy utilises sustainable, chemical free practices. Applying the timing and movement of celestial objects to predicate pruning, live animal fertilising, and picking; complementing our natural and introduced bio-diversity as an ecologically beneficial approach to farming. We have been proudly Demeter Bio-Dynamic certified since 2008 and, through biodynamics, we have learned the bush is a living entity with abundant diversity and variety, an ability to communicate and an intelligence seldom acknowledged. It was Steiner who opened our eyes to these things and Podolinsky, the founder of Demeter Bio-Dynamics, who taught us to be actively perceptive. By observing and noting the land and its inhabitants, we have developed an affinity with, awareness of, and deep respect for our patch.
Sixteen acres and ten-thousand vines comprising cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, semillon and a terroir of sandy gravelly loam on limestone bedrock. No irrigation; made possible by the dewy, cooling breeze which rolls off the Southern Indian Ocean in conjunction with gentle north facing slopes, undulating topography and well-established roots of our 28-year-old vines.
The result is hardy vines that produce high quality, robust and delicious grapes. The berries are hand-picked and sorted and then fermented in an array of fermenters (including clay amphoras, French and Austrian oak barrels) to produce the highest quality wine exemplifying the Margaret River region’s fine viticultural qualities.
At Marri Wood Park we focus on the health of our entire property, not just the yield and quality of the fruit produced on our vines. We look to the natural habitat that has been flourishing for millions of years, and we have spent time studying and understanding our land and our soils in way that looks beyond the next vintage, even beyond the next generation.
As the custodians of the land on which Marri Wood Park stands, our first objective as grape farmers is sustainability – instead of relentlessly demanding and expecting a certain amount of fruit from our vines, we trust our vines’ natural feeding techniques and ability to rest when needed. This results in inconsistent yields from one year to the next – reflecting the natural way of life.
We do not water, feed, plough, plant cover crops, target a specific yield or balance our soils. We don’t believe chemicals are required to protect our plants. We do believe there is a rhythm to nature and the cosmos that so many of us overlook in modern life.
After 30 years at Marri Wood Park our farming philosophy continues to evolve as we actively seek to understand this land and the living connections it has with insects, waterways and the cosmos.
https://marriwoodpark.com.au/