Viticulturist of the Year: Ashley Ratcliff

2027 Viticulturist of the Year

Ashley Ratcliff, Ricca Terra

The Riverland is no stranger to innovation. Still, there are few producers in the region, or arguably even the country, as progressive and future focused as Ashley Ratcliff of Ricca Terra.

Since he and his wife, Holly, bought their first vineyard in the region in 2003, they’ve only looked to make sustainable improvements, despite the challenge and hard work required to yield any semblance of return in the dry and arid land.

Given its roots in large-scale commercial production, it’s a region that’s often written off, but Ash chose to establish new plantings of Mediterranean varieties (rather than the initial plantings of French varieties) that suit the climate of the Riverland – and to great effect.  

“My view was that if I just kept doing shiraz and chardonnay and climate change happened, well, I was a bit of a muppet,” he says. “If I planted climate-adaptive varieties, even if climate change didn’t happen, at least my vineyard would be a lot more exciting than my neighbours’!”

Ricca Terra’s vineyard holdings now comprise 70ha across 10 individual sites in the Barmera and Berri areas. Fiano, nero d’Avola, montepulciano, vermentino, tinta cão and tinta barocca are just some of the varieties planted.

Ash is also steadfast in his implementation of sustainable farming methods and wider business decisions, not shy to incorporate drought-resistant rootstocks, lightweight glass, water-saving mulches (of which he conducted a comprehensive trial in conjunction with key regional bodies), diversification of grape varieties and in-field destemmers (meaning most of the grape matter stays in the vineyard, reducing associated transportation costs). He’s also planted complementary cultivars, including olive trees and agave.

He is also the first to show up when his neighbours are in trouble, be it by offering fruit, consultation, advice or leadership. But, perhaps most importantly, he’s never wavered in his belief in the Riverland. “We have a bit of a saying: the only way to stand out in a room full of black balloons is to be a yellow balloon,” he says. “That's our motto… to stay super positive about the region and the wines and who we are and what we do.”

Ricca Terra’s wines are indisputably the benchmark for the Riverland, but, more importantly, the land under his stewardship will be left to the next generations in a better condition than he found it. We can’t ask for more.

Ashley Ratcliff is Viticulturist of the Year for the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion.

Words by Katrina Butler and Anna Webster  

The previous Viticulturist of the Year recipients include Vanya Cullen (2022), Tom Carson (2023), Mark Walpole (2024), Bart Molony (2025) and Dr Dylan Grigg (2026).

The 2027 Halliday Wine Companion is out now 

This is an edited extract from the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Katrina Butler, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale and Toni Paterson MW. Cover art by Chantel De Latour.

Banner and bottom image credit: Wine Australia