Zonte’s Footstep ‘Chocolate Factory’ Shiraz 2019

Wine collective Zonte’s Footstep, led by Canadian-at-large Brad Rey, produced its first vintage in 2003 with grapes sourced from their own as well as their peers’ vineyards. Their preferred regions were those that had reputations for producing wine with expressive, varietal characteristics and were located in the McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley. Hence the simple, but diligent pursuit of producing wines that reflect a sense of place, style and purpose with a personality (and a face) to match.

The origins of the name and the idea behind the brand comes from ancient history. From the 1893 planting of Zante ‘currant’ to replanting in the 1920s with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wines are a tribute to the journey of the grapes in the vineyard. In 1999 a group of like minded wine buffs gathered together and purchased the vineyard and whilst re-planting with Viognier, Sangiovese and other new and exciting grape varieties, some large boulders with unique fossilised footprints were discovered, thus cementing their name and lending creative and historical context to the venture.

Nowadays the wine selection tightly focuses on Regions of Shiraz, the Mediterranean, Sense of Place and Limited Release and each wine has an accompanying ‘art story’ which makes the journey the grape has taken, more visual. All that aside, the wines are just fantastic!