Our Philosophy
Our aim at Pikes is to produce wines with character and personality which reflect the variety, the site, the vintage conditions and the passion which we invest into our vineyards and winemaking.
We closely monitor our wines during their formative stage and intervene as little as possible during the vinification process, thereby protecting the integrity of the fruit characters delivered to us by the vineyard in any given season.
Techniques
A combination of both modern and traditional winemaking techniques are used to produce wines of finesse and style which celebrate the fruit grown on our Polish Hill River Estate.
Pure yeast cultures are used to inoculate our delicate white varieties, and most of our reds. Some wild yeast ferments are encouraged for Shiraz and Sangiovese to build complexity. Our Grenache, Sangiovese and Mourvedre may stay on skins for up to 3 weeks after fermentation to extract for colour, flavour and tannin.
Maturation
Maturation of red wine and some of our white wines takes place in high quality French oak barrels in temperature controlled purpose built barrel rooms, (sourced from several different regions and producers in France) to increase our wine’s complexity, structure and balance. Once maturation is complete, and after gentle fining and filtration where necessary, our finished wines are bottled.
CHIEF WINEMAKER AT PIKES
STEVE BARAGLIA
Steve was born and raised in the Barossa Valley, where he began his career in wine from a young age working the family vineyards. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Oenology and Diploma of Viticulture from the University of Adelaide, laying the foundation for a career dedicated to crafting exceptional wine.
Steve joined the winemaking team at Pikes in 2003, working his way through the ranks before being appointed Chief Winemaker in 2020. He has a particular passion for Riesling, a variety perfectly suited to the Clare Valley, and also loves working with the cool-climate grapes of the Adelaide Hills for Pike & Joyce.
A dedicated member of the local winemakers and grape growers' association, Steve has judged at regional wine shows and, in 2023, was proudly selected as a Len Evans Scholar — one of the wine industry's most prestigious honours.
