Gentle Folk was founded by Gareth and Rainbo Belton, growers and winemakers whose path to wine was anything but conventional. Both trained as marine scientists, specialising in phycology, the study of marine plants, completing PhDs focused on biodiversity and the classification of seaweed species. A love of wine, food and growing things eventually drew them away from academic life and into vineyards.

The Gentle Folk story began in 2012 in Basket Range, where Gareth spent time working alongside and learning from early pioneers of the region including James Erskine (Jauma) and Alex Schulkin (The Other Right). The first commercial release followed in 2013: three barrels from the Broderick family vineyard in Basket Range, and a clear sense of direction.

From those modest beginnings, making wine in a shed without power or running water,  Gentle Folk has grown into one of the Adelaide Hills’ most compelling site-driven producers. Today they farm eight hectares across multiple elevated sites in Basket Range, Summertown, Ashton, Norton Summit and Forest Range, working organically and biodynamically, with farming firmly at the centre of their philosophy. Production now sits at around 6,000–7,000 cases annually, supported by a small, dedicated team.

While often associated with the natural wine movement, Gentle Folk is less about ideology and more about intention. Fermentations are wild, additions minimal, sulphur used sparingly if at all. Reds may see whole-bunch fermentation, whites sometimes extended skin contact, and blends are occasionally unconventional. Yet increasingly the focus has narrowed to precise, site-expressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cooler, steeper slopes of the Adelaide Hills.

The wines carry energy and texture, but also clarity and restraint. They feel alive, without excess, thoughtful expressions of place shaped by careful farming and quiet confidence.

Gentle Folk captures what the Adelaide Hills does best: beautiful sites, considered growers, and wines that speak honestly of where they come from.