Proprietors Nicole and Steven French
Little Engine Wines
We can all relate to a story of overcoming obstacles and achieving greatness. The children’s fable of the Little Engine personifies will and determination, a winery dedicated to these same pursuits seemed befitting of the same title, and so became Little Engine Wines. We had vision to produce a collection of wines that would appeal to astute wine enthusiasts and the most seasoned professionals. Varietals based on terroir with the ability to influence with barrels. A winery dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. We believe our vision of inspiration and dreams result in wines that deliver, inspired by the same dreams.
Get to Know Us
The rules are simple, give the earth good things, she will give you good grapes. We are stewards of the land, ever burdened with the responsibility of caring for our little piece of paradise. We use over 320 tonnes of compost annually, and between rows, we plant cover crops like Sweet Elysium, Clover and Braco Mustard, Wildflower Mix and Lacy Phacelia to attract friendly pollinators. All weed control is manually done by hand, we never use herbicides or sprays. Lower yields, combined with thoughtful canopy management encourages more airflow which gives us great concentrated flavours, and helps in reducing the need for sprays. The key to success, is learning the land, learning your grapes and learning how to showcase them in the best possible light.
Our Approach
We have chosen varietals based on terroir, with the ability to influence with barrels. Our three properties are planted in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot mark estate production while Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc make up the balance of the portfolio. Our wines are vegan, no animal fining agents are used, we use minimal sulphites for clean wines. Little Engine Reds are bottled unfined and unfiltered.