An artisan approach to winemaking

But there are several small vineyard owners along the ridge of the Darling Scarp that are punching well above their weight when it comes to production of quality and, in some cases, alternative grape varieties.

These producers are helping to put the Perth Hills wine region on the map for tourists visiting WA and locals seeking a day out, given that some are only about 20 kilometres from the centre of Perth.

Many Perth Hills wineries are also winning top gongs for their outstanding vintages.

Dan Tonon, viticulturist and winemaker, purchased his 2.5-hectare property in Carmel, near Lesmurdie, in 2011 from orchardists who had been farming in the area for three generations.

On a property that started as a blank canvas, he established Tonon Vineyard & Winery.

Mr Tonon planted select wine grapes, focusing on alternative varieties.

He was the first producer to import the Prosecco grape variety from Italy into WA.

Other varieties he grows include Vermentino, Fiano, Sangiovese, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo.

"We are in a developing area for wine grape production, with much of the industry becoming established in the past 30 to 40 years," Mr Tonon said.

"Our property is located at 300 metres above sea level and gets an average rainfall of about 1200 millimetres per annum, in contrast to about 800mm in Perth.

"Our soils are generally gravelly loam over clay and ambient temperatures are an average of two to three degrees Celsius below the average in Perth and the Swan Valley.

"The climate and environment in this area is ideal for growing wine grapes and really lends itself to growing many of the emerging, alternative grape varieties."

Mr Tonon said when he was starting out in the viticulture industry, he considered the Swan Valley, Margaret River and Great Southern regions, but he said he wanted something small and bespoke that he could manage on his own.

The Carmel-Bickley Valley area in the Perth Hills ticked all the boxes.

The Perth Hills Vignerons' Association represents wine growers in the Perth Hills Geographical Indication, a zone comprising Chittering in the Bickley Valley north, through the Carmel-Bickley Valley, as far as Jarrahdale in the south, and includes Tonon Vineyard & Winery.

Mr Tonon said although the number of vineyards in Perth Hills was relatively small at about 20, wine grape production was an important contributor to the agricultural sector in this region, which also included stone fruit, citrus and pome fruit.

"Part of the attraction is being only a 20 to 30 minute drive from Perth, so it is easy for customers to get to the cellar door," he said.

"The Swan Valley wine region is most commonly associated with the Perth winery scene, but we are a similar distance from the city and offer a nice contrast of rolling hills and natural bushland."

Mr Tonon did a full gamut of soil tests before establishing his vines 12 years ago and found his soils were quite variable, but suited a range of grape varieties.

"I tried to think about the climate and soil type when choosing my varieties," he said.

"I wanted to grow wine varieties that I enjoy, but also those that were well suited to this environment.

"As a result, I opted predominantly for southern Mediterranean grape varieties."

To this end, Mr Tonon now grows several Italian varieties.

He produces Sangiovese grapes that are among the most widely planted red wine varieties in Italy, growing in regions such as Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

Other red varieties in his vineyard include the Spanish Tempranillo and the French variety, Malbec, which grows prolifically in Argentina.

White wines grown include Vermentino and Fiano, which are fast becoming well-regarded wine varietals in WA.

"These varieties were calling out to me as alternatives to the mainstream varieties, but that would comfortably fit into our WA food culture," Mr Tonon said.

"My plan was to set up a vertically integrated business, offering a 'paddock to glass' experience that would appeal to tourists and locals as something different to try.

"I wanted to grow the grapes, make the wines and deliver a unique 'meet the maker' customer service from the cellar door."

Mr Tonon said another attraction was several of his varieties stemmed from his family's Italian heritage.

His father's family were farmers in the north east of Italy in an area well known for producing top Prosecco.

"I wanted to try to grow Prosecco, but there was no planting material in WA at that time," he said.

"I applied to the (then) Department of Agriculture and Food for a permit to import eight cuttings into the State.

Seven of the eight survived the two-year quarantine period and, once planted in the vineyard, they thrived.

"Since that point, I've propagated many more vines from those cuttings.

"I now use all the grapes from the Prosecco vines to make a wine called 'Seven Sticks'.

"It is a link back to my family heritage and it has been great to experiment with this variety, which does surprisingly well in this environment."

Mr Tonon said Prosecco was typically grown in hilly areas with high humidity, high summer rainfall and very cold winters in its native environment north of Venice.

He made it work in the Perth Hills by experimenting with pruning styles and irrigation.

"It is now one of my biggest sellers," he said.

Tonon Vineyard & Winery processes 10 tonnes of fruit each year from its Carmel property and a small block of Shiraz from across the road.

Mr Tonon said his main market was consumers in Perth, but he also ships wine to customers throughout the country.

"In 2017, I set up a cellar door for sales in the winery building so visitors could come and experience the wine making process," he said.

"I open the cellar door on Saturdays for wine tastings and sales and offer appointments."

Mr Tonon said it might sound crazy to be growing so many varieties in such a small vineyard, but it was showing wine lovers and the general public the broad types of wines that could be produced in the Perth Hills wine region.

This was another point of difference for his winery, which is very much family-run.

Mr Tonon's father Andrew regularly helps out in the vineyard and winery, and wife Daniela and sons, Alexander and Xavier, often pitch in to help with pruning, harvesting and various events held in the cellar door.

This was particularly important this year, as the season was fast-paced.

"It started early due to the warm, dry spring and then contracted significantly due to the unusual heatwaves pushing the fruit along," Mr Tonon said.

"Harvest was finished by mid-February, whereas it usually extends well into March.

"Despite the short harvest this year, the fruit was particularly healthy.

"The warm conditions meant limiting disease, especially powdery mildew that can be problematic in cooler, wet seasons."

Mr Tonon has been making wine as a hobby since the age of 18 and went back to university in his early 30s to study Oenology (wine science) through Curtin University at its Margaret River campus.

"I really enjoyed learning the science behind wine production and that inspired me to go one step further and grow my own grapes," he said.

"I grew up in a family manufacturing business and when my father retired, we closed the business down.

"This gave me a great opportunity to set up my own business, and before I knew it, my father and I started planting vines and installing trellising together.

"He has been there helping me out ever since."

Late last year, Tonon Vineyard & Winery won the coveted Dr Rod Bonfiglioli Best Wine of Show trophy in the 2023 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (in Mildura) for its 2022 Sangiovese.

This wine also won trophies for Best Red Wine and Best Red Italian Variety.

Mr Tonon is fast gaining a reputation for producing estate-grown, artisan crafted, award-winning wines.

He is also branching out into olive oils.