This Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer field blend is from the Merkel Vineyard that straddles the ridge (~550m above sea level) running up to Mount Bellevue on a forgotten outpost of Whitlands, scythed off by the erosive action of the mighty Boggy Creek that runs between them. A glorious spot featuring panoramic views of the valleys surrounding it, it is quite the breathtaking vantage point, and a lovely spot to grow grapes.
Looking from the Merkel Vineyard over to the main Whitlands ridge
Panopticon, the all seeing eye, seemed appropriate, not only topographically but philosophically, for this is a wild area of true pioneers with more than their fair share of a rebellious streak. This was a term we first encountered at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, a site of the incarceration of many an Irish patriot seeking independence, and the scene of the strike of 1923 that would influence so many to come. People making a stand for the future, what an awe-inspiring tale.
So we raise a glass of Panopticon and ponder the people doing their bit to protect some small sense of liberty and all those desperate to stop them.
