McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia are today hotbeds of organic viticulture.
Thirty years ago Joch Bosworth and Louise Hemsely-Smith caused quite a stir when they were the first vignerons in the region to take the organic route.
Bosworth Wines – the first certified organic producer in McLaren Vale – is celebrating 30 years since embarking on the conversion to organic in 1995.
Their ahead-of-its-time decision has helped shape McLaren Vale develop into Australia’s leading region for organic viticulture. It is now home to the highest concentration of certified organic and biodynamic vineyards in the country.
When Joch Bosworth began transitioning his family vineyards to organic methods in 1995, organic wine was virtually unheard of in Australia.
He devised many of his own practical strategies - from adapting traditional machinery (the old-fashioned dodge plough) to avoid herbicides and championing the humble soursob as a natural weed suppressant.
“When we began converting to organics in ’95, there was no roadmap,” Joch says in his media release. “McLaren Vale’s climate suited it, I wasn’t keen on chemicals, and it simply felt like the right direction for the vineyards. So, we made a start and worked it out as we went.”
Today, nearly 38% of McLaren Vale’s vineyard area is certified organic or biodynamic.
This regional shift reflects the influence of early adopters like Bosworth Wines, who continue to earn national accolades.
Co-owner Hemsley-Smith says the region’s evolution is one of the most rewarding legacies of their early organic decision.
“Back then, going organic definitely raised a few eyebrows. Now it strengthens the whole region,” she says.
“I’m proud that our choice helped set McLaren Vale on a path that’s been positive for the vineyards, the soils and the wines. Seeing more growers adopting organics isn’t competition – it’s progress.”
As Bosworth Wines marks this milestone, the family remains focused on the future: exploring climate-appropriate varieties, deepening their sustainability practices, and supporting the next generation.
Their daughter Celia has just completed her third year of winemaking studies at the University of Adelaide, while Peggy, 18, worked her first cellar-door shift last weekend.
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