The winemaker and the artist
Behind the Vinteloper label is a couple who believe making wine should be enjoyed, surrounded by friends and immersed in fun.
Vinterloper wines David Bowley and Sharon Hong.
Using fruit from from their Norton Summit vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, David Bowley (winemaker) and Sharon Hong (artist) produce a range of wines under the Vinteloper label. To supplement their crop, they source additional grapes from farmers with single vineyards in Langhorne Creek and the Clare Valley.
They share their story here as part of a series profiling wineries participating in the 2016 Cellar Door Festival this month.
Our story …
“Vinteloper is a winery started by a guy who decided, on instinct, to skip through his own daisy fields. Like the craft brewers, the artisan bakers, the finders and keepers, we make small-batch wine from our home in the Adelaide Hills.
“We’re named for the interloper, to step out, do things different, make a few mistakes and bottle great wine. It’s this spirit that’s at the core of everything we do. We love to bend a few rules, and explore new experiences. Some say we live like everyone is taking their cues from us, but really we just love holding a mirror up to the world around us.”
What we do best …
“Apart from Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir… We’re enablers. The ringleaders of grown-up fun. We connect people to good times through original, fun-first events, and our craft wine.”
What our place means to us …
“The Adelaide Hills means a lot to us because it’s where David, the winemaker, grew up. It’s a special place growing amazing produce, whether it be apples, olives, cherries or wine grapes, but it remains under-appreciated on the world stage. We feel obliged to change that. Each vineyard in the Adelaide Hills has unique characteristics and we’re committed to showing that through the four single-vineyard Adelaide Hills wines we produce.”
What we will bring to the Cellar Door Fest …
“The most important thing is our attitude; fun on the outside but serious in the bottle. On the wine side of things, we will be giving people an exclusive sneak preview of the Urban Winery Red #3 and Urban Winery White #1.”
Why we take part …
“Vinteloper doesn’t have a regular cellar door of its own, so the CDF allows us to have meaningful face-to-face contact with our friends. We crave that personal contact so we can share our latest stories, events and new-release wines.”
David Bowley and Sharon Hong will join 180 other South Australian food and wine producers at the 2016 Cellar Door Fest from February 26 to 28 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, where they will have their Vinteloper and Urban Winery Project wines available for tasting and purchase.
