Larry Cherubino is a first-generation Australian, with strong Italian roots. His interest in wine began early with his aunts and uncles pressing grapes on their farms and in their back yards and at one time his parents had a small vineyard. By contrast, his wife Edwina’s ancestors planted the first vines on the banks of the Frankland River in Western Australia in 1875.
Larry started off as a horticulturist and met Edwina in 1994 when he graduated, but he diverted into wine, and made a name for himself at Tintara followed by the historic Houghton winery. Larry found his winemaking skills in high demand and consultancy work followed not just in Australia, but in New Zealand, America, South Africa, France and Italy. Then in 2004 Larry and Edwina purchased their first plot of land in Frankland River with dreams of planting their own vineyard. It was a small parcel which had originally been part of a large historic estate called Riversdale and Larry’s first wine under his own label was made in 2005. A few years later the couple had the opportunity of buying the neighbouring vineyard – they didn’t hesitate because they knew the potential.
Today there are over 120 hectares spread over six vineyard sites, farmed sustainably with organic principles. The Riversdale North and Riversdale South Vineyards in Frankland, Justin Vineyard in Frankland River, Chanyybearup in Pemberton, Pedestal in Margaret River and Pannoo in Porongurup. A staggering array of red and white grape varieties are grown between these sites: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Mencia, Touriga Nacional, Grenache, Mourvedre, Tempranillo, Counoise, Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arneis, Fiano, Gewürztraminer and Prosecco [Glera]! This myriad of grape varieties, coupled with the diversity of vineyard sites with their different microclimates, aspects and soil types allows for an astonishing portfolio of wines – over 70 in 9 ranges! All with eye-catching labels that tell the story of the unique award-winning wines.
Larry takes a hands-off, minimal approach in the cellar strongly believing that all the work should be done in the vineyard. He spends a lot of time in the vineyards – his horticultural training taught him what growing quality produce meant. In other words, if the grapes are great, you shouldn’t need to do a lot with them; so he thinks about the character of the fruit and what he needs to do to bottle that personality. There is no doubt that Larry Cherubino is a talented winemaker, named “Winery of the Year” by James Halliday and Matt Skinner. His philosophy about what he does is simple “Growing Grapes, Making Wine”!
