Background/History
Ros grew up on a cattle and sheep farm in the beautiful Mansfield valley in the northeast of Victoria, surrounded by mountains which are covered in snow in the winter. She loved mustering her father’s stock, on horseback, and also helping in her parent’s vineyards, which were planted when she was 10 years old, at weekends and in the holidays.
After graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College at the end of 1981, Ros returned home to Mansfield in Victoria to help establish and set up the Delatite Winery, with her parents. She was the winemaker for Delatite for the next 25 years, producing and growing the range of wines; these included the classic aromatics, method champenoise sparkling, as well as red varietals and blends. Many of these wines gained consistent critical acclaim both nationally and internationally, with 13 trophies, 39 gold, 67 silver and over 210 bronze medals. Over the years she took several opportunities to travel within France, Germany and Italy several times, but especially to Alsace, Baden, the Mosel, Rheingau and Pfalz, whose wines strengthened her passion for Riesling and Gewurztraminer and stimulated her interest in Pinot gris. These aromatic varietals were the inspiration for Ros to found Ros Ritchie Wines in 2008.
Ros began with her favourite, white aromatic wines, along with Cabernet sauvignon, Shiraz and Tempranillo, but then was tempted with Nebbiolo (which produces the great Barolo and Barbaresco red wines of Piedmont in Italy) in 2010, and also a delicious sparkling wine, made from Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot meunier.
