Ricca Terra

Ricca Terra is the venture of Ashley and Holly Ratcliff. Ashley began his journey in wine in '92 when he joined Orlando as a viticulturist, thereafter moving to Yalumba where he remained until '16. During this time he obtained a bachelor of applied science, a master's degree in marketing and became a graduate of the AWRI sensory evaluation course. In his 15 years with Yalumba he was winery manager for the vast Riverland winery and technical manager (viticulture). He was the recipient of 4 major state and federal industry awards, all focusing on viticulture in drought-prone regions. So when he and Holly purchased an 8ha vineyard in the Riverland it presented the opportunity to plant varieties pushing the envelope, such as the rare ancient Balkan variety slankamenka bela. There are now 80ha of varieties, mainly selected for the climate and grown with smart viticultural practices. Ricca Terra means rich earth in Italian. -JAMES HALLIDAY