From Seaweed to the Adelaide Hills
Gareth and Rainbo Belton were marine scientists — phycologists, to be precise — specialising in the study of seaweed and algae. They held PhDs, discovered new species, and named them. Then wine happened. A tasting at East End Cellars with Jauma, Tom Shobbrook and Lucy Margaux sparked a conversation with James Erskine that would change everything. The next morning, Gareth was in a truck at 5am, driving through McLaren Vale to pick grapes. He never looked back. Gentle Folk was born in 2013 with just three barrels from the Broderick's Basket Range Vineyard. Today they farm five sites totalling eight hectares, employ five people, produce 6,000–7,000 cases annually, and are among the most in-demand producers in Australian wine. Crushability is the name of the game — but don't mistake playfulness for lack of seriousness. These are wines made with scientific rigour, biodynamic devotion, and an unwavering trust in the palate.
From the Ocean to the Vineyard
Gareth Belton studied botany and marine science at university, then completed a PhD in phycology — the study of seaweed — at the University of Adelaide. Rainbo did the same at a different university. They discovered and named new species. They dived in remote coastal locations around Australia and the northwest Pacific. It was, as they put it, "super fun." But academic life was cooping them up. Gareth was a water scientist for Melbourne's water board before returning to Adelaide for his doctorate. The head of the biology department, Margaret Clayton, had recommended he take time off to figure out what he wanted to do. A summer program in the San Juan Islands changed his life — "like something out of a movie."
But no one wanted to pay them to dive and bring back seaweed. So they fell in love with the gastronomy and people of the Adelaide Hills instead. Gareth became a regular at East End Cellars' Friday night tastings, where he met James Erskine (Jauma), Taras Ochota (Ochota Barrels), Anton van Klopper (Lucy Margaux), and Alex Schulkin (The Other Right). In 2012, he worked vintage with Erskine, who encouraged him to make a barrel of his own. The first commercial wines came from the 2013 vintage — a barrel each of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from three vineyards in Basket Range. They used a corner of Erskine's shed for the first couple of years.
The name came from Rainbo. "Gentle Folk" represents the time when friends would visit their Basket Range property — sometimes staying for months — and they'd spend their days cooking, eating, connecting, and making wine. Gareth's name means "gentle" in Welsh. The label artwork is by Alex Harris (Folk & Poke), a musician, designer and handpoke tattoo artist who lives in the Adelaide Hills community. The Beltons now have two children, Leonard and Poppy, and the winery has grown from three barrels to a serious operation with a new winery building — though a cellar door is still in the works.
"I was cooped up a bit and always trying to find money to continue a position... but I just loved being outside and making things with my hands and being able to say — look, we've made something, and now we can drink it. How enjoyable is that!?"
— Gareth Belton
Five Sites, Eight Hectares & Biodynamic Life
Gentle Folk farms five sites totalling eight hectares across the western Adelaide Hills, planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyards are managed organically and biodynamically, with viticultural consultant Dr Dylan Grigg — who completed a PhD studying old vines and consults exclusively for a small group of high-quality winemakers in Spain and Australia — advising every fortnight. Gareth had never pruned a vine in his life when he signed his first vineyard lease. "I was like sh&%. Luckily, the stars aligned and I met Dylan Grigg one night... We still work together."
The flagship vineyard is Scary Gully in Forest Range — one of the highest and oldest Pinot Noir sites in the Adelaide Hills, sitting at 560–620 metres on a ridge of sandstone and quartz. Planted in 1984, it was about to be ripped out when Gareth took over the lease. It now provides Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Little Creek in Norton Summit is another key site — 34-year-old vines in quartz, siltstone, sandstone and clay, with high plant density and dry farming. Monomeith in Ashton sits in its own cool valley at 530m with an east-west orientation. A new estate vineyard in Basket Range joined the portfolio in 2024.
Gareth is obsessed with farming. "You get addicted to that side of things, even things like tractors... you look at a tractor and you're like... ooo I like that one." The shift from buying fruit to farming their own vineyards has been transformative. "All that time and money farming — working around the clock — to produce something sub-standard would be an atrocity. It would be an insult to our work, to our employees and to the owners of the vineyards."
One of the highest and oldest Pinot Noir sites in the Adelaide Hills. Planted 1984 at 560–620m on sandstone and quartz. Provides Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris. Nearly ripped out before Gareth saved it. Now the spiritual home of Gentle Folk's finest expressions.
34-year-old vines in a complex mix of quartz, siltstone, sandstone and clay. High plant density, dry farmed. Known for powerful, aromatic Pinot Noir with savoury whole-cluster character. Almost impossible to access in wet weather — a challenging but rewarding site.
Arguably the coolest vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Sits in its own valley at 530m with east-west orientation. 1996 plantings of MV6, 777, 114 and 115 clones. Produces Pinot Noir with great depth, complexity and classic aromatics. A site of serious distinction.
A new estate vineyard in Basket Range joined the portfolio in 2024, adding to the Village Chardonnay blend. The Beltons purchased a new winery building in 2023 and plan to open a cellar door in the coming years — the next chapter in the Gentle Folk story.
Trust the Palate, Not the Textbook
Gareth Belton has no winemaking degree. He has a PhD in seaweed. But he has something more valuable: a scientific mind, a community of mentors, and an unwavering trust in his own palate. "I've been at uni for eight years and it's not rocket science, making wine," he says. "I've got loads of lovely people around me that answer all my questions... I really believe that, especially the way we make wine, it's not really about the science, it's more about your palate." The only textbook he pays attention to is the unwritten one followed by James Erskine, Anton van Klopper and the Basket Range crew: add nothing but fermented grape juice, and maybe a touch of SO2.
The wines are naturally fermented with wild yeasts. No additions except homeopathic doses of sulfur prior to bottling — and not always. The wines are not fined or filtered. Red and white grapes are often blended together. Skin contact on whites varies. Whole bunch is common with reds. But Gareth is clear: "The current obsession with winemaking techniques... sulphur, filtration etc. gives me the shits." He wants the conversation to shift to farming, organics, biodynamics and the health of the land.
The philosophy has evolved. Early Gentle Folk was all about smashable, crushable fun — Rainbow Juice and Vin de Sofa took the natural wine world by storm. But recently, Gareth has turned his focus to single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, drilling down on site expression. "If we're going to make wine, we may as well make the best thing we possibly can." The Village range offers accessible entry points, while the Single Vineyard releases — Scary Gully, Monomeith, Little Creek, Ashton, Piccadilly — are the pinnacles. One dream remains: to make the equivalent of lunchtime Chianti. "I want to make a million litres of Sangiovese like a dirty Chianti. It's the answer to everything."
The Rainbow Juice Phenomenon
Gentle Folk's most famous wine — a blend of up to 21 varieties, both red and white, that defies categorisation. Is it a white masquerading as a red? A rosé? An orange wine? "Who cares," say the Beltons. The blend changes every year, but the drinkability remains the same. Crushability is the name of the game. It took the natural wine world by storm and became a gateway drug for a generation of drinkers who had never encountered Australian natural wine before. Playful, colourful, and impossible to pin down — just like the people who make it.
Scientific Minds, Gentle Hands
Gareth and Rainbo Belton are the embodiment of the new Australian wine movement: highly educated, deeply connected to their community, and utterly uninterested in convention. Gareth's background in marine biology and taxonomy gives him a unique lens — he understands ecosystems, biodiversity, and the interconnectedness of living systems. This translates directly to the vineyard. "I hope we see a shift to more conversations about farming, organics/biodynamics and the health of the land here in Australia," he says. The scientific rigour is there, but it's applied with intuition, not dogma.
The Basket Range community is central to everything. Gareth was mentored by Anton van Klopper, James Erskine and Taras Ochota. He collaborated with Yari Ochota (Taras' father) on "Father's Milk" — a Pinot Noir made in Taras' style after his passing. He works closely with Dylan Grigg on viticulture. Alex Harris designs the labels. James Ellis is assistant winemaker and vineyard manager. This is not a solo project; it is a collective endeavour, a family of "gentle folk" making wine together. As Gourmet Traveller noted, Anton van Klopper's approach helped inspire Belton to establish his own wine business — and now Gentle Folk inspires others in turn.
The wines are celebrated for their balance and structure while remaining playful and highly drinkable. The Wine Front's Campbell Mattinson has consistently scored Gentle Folk in the 93–95 point range. The 2014 Blossoms was judged the hottest South Australian wine of 2014 in the Hot 100. Four Gentle Folk drops made that year's list. The reputation has only grown since. Today, Gentle Folk is a finalist for Rising Star of the Year Australia 2025 — recognition of a journey that began with three barrels and a dream.
"It feels totally out of control most of the time, but it slowly feels like it makes sense. You make less errors every year."
— Gareth Belton
The Gentle Folk Range
Gentle Folk makes an eclectic range that spans smashable spring releases, serious single-vineyard expressions, and experimental collaborations. The Village range offers accessible, delicious wines from multiple sites. The Single Vineyard releases are the pinnacles — site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that express the unique terroir of each vineyard. The spring releases — Rainbow Juice and Vin de Sofa — remain the heartbeat of the label: playful, crushable, and utterly distinctive. All wines are made with minimal intervention, wild fermentation, and a focus on drinkability above all else.