Vineyard Manager- John Evans
At Yering Station, constant communication and interaction between the vineyard and the winery, ensures and acknowledges that the wines are a product of both environments. Vineyard manager John Evans grew up in Margaret River, beginning his career in the vineyards of Happs, Amberley and Cape Clairault in the upcoming Western Australian region, before moving to the Yarra Valley in Victoria. Prior to joining Yering Station in 1998, John worked for several Yarra Valley wineries including De Bortoli, Yarra Yarra and Yarra Ridge, where he played an integral in establishing the Racecourse Vineyard.
John is now kept busy managing Yering Station’s five vineyard sites, encompassing 275 acres under vine. Varieties are diverse and numerous, with the majority of red grape plantings being Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with smaller quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Chardonnay is the main white wine variety, with smaller plantings of Marsanne and Viognier. John also works closely with the Yering Station growers. These vineyards are located in the Yarra Valley region and have been selected as superb sites to complement Yering Station’s own resources. The only exception to Yarra Valley regionality is a percentage of Yarrabank fruit being sourced specifically from the Mornington Peninsula. John collaborates with these growers to ensure low yielding vineyards and our high level of viticultural practise is employed amd maintained for fruit quality and consistency. The combination of Yarra Valley soils and the distinctive cool climate has produced great wines since the middle of the 19th century.
John coaxes the best from our vines through his solid understanding of the weather patterns and climate characteristics of the Yarra Valley as well as the micro-climates of the individual vineyards. Incorporating the latest vineyard management techniques for effective trellising systems, canopy management and carefully controlled cropping levels, John manages to maintain optimal flavour and end product quality.