Schild Estate wines are style driven according to our vineyards. Individual parcels of fruit are carefully selected by the Schild family and our winemakers to produce wines of exceptional quality and finesse. It is our philosophy that "minimal handling of the fruit at harvest and during the winemaking process produces better wines".

Most of the white wines made at Schild Estate are unwooded thus the fruit is harvested at the last possible moment before transport to the winery. This practice reduces the possibility of emparting harsh phenolics into the fresh juice. A combination of neutral yeast selection and fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vessels allows us to maintain the aromatics and flavour depth of the fruit which is a feature of our wines. Immediately after fermentation is completed, the wines are prepared for bottling. The whole process from vineyard to bottle is completed within 6 weeks to retain the freshest characteristics of our wines.

Schild Estate red wines are handled with as much care and finesse as our white wines.

Harvesting of the fruit at optimum flavour ripeness in the vineyard is essential. A great deal of time is spent in each individual vineyard assessing the fruit for desired varietal flavours and quality.

Schild Estate's full bodied reds are placed into open fermenters on skins and "pumped over" according to winemaker specifications so as to obtain optimal colour and retain complex fruit flavours. Each variety imparts different characteristics into the finished wines and so the winemaking processes are individually selected for each variety to impart the rich, full flavoured styles of Schild Estate. The reds are then filled to specifically selected oak barrels for maturation.

A combination of new and aged oak impart subtle oak characteristics and tannins into our wines thus integrating well with our intense fruit flavours. Selection of good oak is essential and currently we are using a wide selection of American, French, European and Hungarian oak barrels for our various range of wines. Again, with minimal movement of the wines, they are left to mature until ready for bottling.

Schild Estate's wines accurately reflect the winemaking, viticulture and terrior of the Barossa region. Whether you are enticed by our Riesling or our Moorooroo Shiraz the quality of our individual vineyard wines is exceptional and enjoyed by many around the world.

Enjoy.

Winemaker Scott Hazeldine's decision to forge a career in wine came after a vintage with Brown Brothers. That vintage turned into a couple of years, by which time the bug had truly bitten, but a desire to immerse himself in the heart of the industry and gain more experience saw Scott move over to the Barossa Valley in 2001. He then spent the next three vintages working with Stuart Blackwell, Matt Gant and Tim Smith at St Hallett Wines.

In 2003 Scott joined Jonathan Maltus in his new Australian operation at The Colonial Estate. As winemaker and then production director, he has for the last six years been involved with a team making wine not only in the Barossa, but has also undertaken several harvests in both Saint Emilion and the Napa Valley.

This insight into the world of fine winemaking on three continents has given him extensive experience in varying varieties, climates and techniques.

"The thing I love about the Barossa is that within the boundaries of the valley we have a number of distinct sub regions. The terroirs of each and the wines that result vary significantly and I really enjoy exploring and getting to know each of these special patches of Barossa dirt to try and produce wines with a real sense of place. Schild Estate has always been a company with a real sense of place; an operation very much grounded in its vineyards."