Vitis Botanica

All great things begin as thoughts and Kass had long dreamt of lush meandering vines, grape-stained hands and golden light washing over his own vineyard. Life passed through years of travel, career and family but the dream remained constant until it was realised in the rich soil of his own grapevines.

Nestled on the outskirts of Mansfield in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, Kass became custodian of the mature vines, passed on from a man who had planted the seeds and sown the story. Grape growing is a fine balance between art, science, patience and hard work and to help maintain the symmetry, Kass wrote expert viticulturist, Timo onto the page.

With the vines now in skilful hands, a crop of rich, juicy Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes gave Kass an idea. Such beautiful grapes need purpose; a refreshing drink made with the complexity of a finely crafted wine, without the alcohol. By capturing the pure, intense flavours of the fruit, Vitis Botanica came to life as an elegant, lightly sparkling grape drink.

When the grapes were hand-picked, Kass employed the expertise of Ros, an award-winning local winemaker to press the fruit and make the juice. The good stuff was bottled and branded: Vitis Botanica.

Because the grapevine is as ancient and proverbial as dreaming, Vitis is Latin for ‘grapevine’ and Botanica illustrates the natural and medicinal properties of the fruit.