The Hedonist are a family run winery located in the McClaren Vale region of South Australian, operated by the dynamic trio of Walter Clappis, his daughter Kimberly, and her partner James Cooter. Walter is considered one of Australia's most outstanding winemakers. He owned the Ingoldby winery for 20 years, and during that time amassed a truly impressive raft of accolades; 37 trophies and 124 gold medals, including the Bushing King for the most outstanding red wine. Plus he is the only winemaker to have won the Dan Murphy trophy three times. The Hedonist philosophy is holistic and they say that “all the wines reflect a purity which is consistent with the Winemakers and their philosophies”. Committed proponents of sustainability, their estate vineyards in the Willunga foothills are certified organic and biodynamic by NASAA. They also source fruit from the Sellicks Foothills and Blewitt Springs subregions of McClaren Vale, and Kangarilla at the northern end of the Fleurieu Peninsular which is a relatively cooler site than McClaren Vale. All organic matter from the vineyard is composted together with cow manure and returned to the vineyard. Preparation 500, made from cow manure that has been fermented in a cow horn and buried for around six months, is used as a soil spray to stimulate root growth and the formation of humus. Preparation 501, made from powdered quartz packed inside a cow horn and buried for several months, is applied as a foliar spray to stimulate and regulate growth. Other preparations include yarrow blossoms, chamomile blossoms, stinging nettles, oak bark, dandelion and valerian. The estate vineyard soils are rich loam over clay, with patches of underlying limestone, planted with Shiraz, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Sangiovese. Walter has always made wine with traditional methods with minimal interference, utilizing native yeasts for fermentation in open-top fermenters. Ageing is carried out in oak 300 litre and 4,500 litre foudre. The wines are beautifully balanced with pure ripe fruit, smooth and velvety textured. The Hedonist's instantly recognisable logo is a pig, which you will see on all their wine labels. The wines though are all vegan friendly and on the back label carry the phrase “It may be a fine line, but to increase pleasure and reduce pain is the aim of The Hedonist”. Hedonists are by definition pleasure seekers, and these wines will certainly bring you pleasure and are well worth snouting out!