Nova Vita `Firebird` Shiraz 2009 (12 x 750mL), Adelaide Hills, SA.

Nova Vita Wines is a small family business, run by Mark and Joanne Kozned. The name Nova Vita was chosen for our wines as it reflected the beginning of our "new life" in the production of premium wines from our family-owned vineyard.

The development of Nova Vita Wines commenced in 2004, when the inaugural Shiraz grapes were hand picked from our family-owned vineyard. The wine was then placed in barrel for over 12 months and released in January 2006. At the same time our 2005 Sauvignon Blanc was introduced. Our portfolio of wines expanded with the release of our 2006 Chardonnay. In 2008 we aim to produce a Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir.

The Firebird is a Russian mythical bird and only a happy or lucky person may see the bird or hear its song. The Firebird was chosen to launch our first wines as it reflects the Russian ancestral history of the Kozned name. We hope those who drink our wines are blessed with luck and happiness everyday.

Our family vineyard, Woodlands Ridge Vineyard, was established in 2001 after months of painstaking research into the best site and aspect. Great wines start in the vineyard and we found this when we located land 4 kilometres outside of Gumeracha in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. The vineyard has gentle slopes, plenty of water and importantly moderately fertile soils. The vineyard is planted with 25.6 hectares of Chardonnay, 3.8 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 0.7 hectares of Shiraz. Our philosophy is to produce elegant premium wines that everyone will enjoy. To achieve this we limit the yields on our vineyard maximising the quality of the wine.

In 2008 we acquired the Tunnel Hill Vineyard located in Forreston approximately 6 kilometres north of the Woodlands Ridge Vineyard. This vineyard has given us access to approximately 17 hectares of established Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc vines.