Last week, a bottle of Riverland red wine took home five trophies in a single night, adding another impressive chapter to Ricca Terra’s growing awards haul.
The 2025 Ricca Terra Aglianico was the standout at the 2026 Riverland Wine Show, taking home Best Other Single Varietal Red, Best Young Red, Best Alternative Wine in Show, Best Sustainable Wine in Show and Best Single Vineyard Riverland Wine.
For owner Ashley Ratcliff, the result is another reward for taking a chance on varieties that aren’t traditionally associated with the Riverland.
Ricca Terra first started entering the Riverland Wine Show in 2017, and has now collected 29 trophies, including being named Most Successful Producer and Most Successful Riverland Producer twice.
“We planted Aglianico over 12 years ago using two new and superior clones imported from Italy,” Ashley said.
“These clones make rustic and traditional style Aglianico wines and are perfectly suited for the Riverland.”
Ricca Terra produces around 300 cases of the Aglianico each year, with the wine selling for $27 a bottle.
The latest haul comes just weeks after Ashley was named 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Viticulturist of the Year, recognising the work he’s done over more than two decades to challenge conventional thinking about what should be grown in the Riverland.
Almost 20 years ago, Ashley began pulling out established Shiraz vines and replacing them with Mediterranean grape varieties, including Nero d’Avola and Aglianico.
At the time, he recalled people questioning why he would remove established vines to plant varieties many had barely heard of.
His philosophy that there was only one way to find out if they would work.
“The biggest risk is not taking future risks,” he told Glam Adelaide.
Ricca Terra grows more than 40 grape varieties across its vineyards, with Ashley continuing to focus on varieties suited to the Riverland’s warm, dry conditions.
The winery’s Aglianico is a particularly good example of that approach, taking an Italian variety and proving it can thrive in South Australia’s Riverland.
“You can make super-premium wines out of the region, you just have to continue to focus on quality.”
And if five trophies for one $27 bottle is anything to go by, the gamble appears to be paying off.
For more on the 2026 Riverland Wine Show, click here.
