The Spark of Living Wine
Scintilla Wines is one of Australia's most exciting natural wine projects — a "living wine" estate founded by sommelier-turned-winemaker James Madden in 2017. The name Scintilla means "spark" — a fitting metaphor for wines that are alive, evolving, and electric with microbial energy. Based on 36 acres of Peramangk Country in Basket Range, Adelaide Hills, James follows a strict "zero/zero" philosophy: nothing added, nothing removed. No sulfur, no fining, no filtration, no cultured yeasts. Just organic and biodynamically grown grapes, hand-harvested and wild-fermented, transferred by gravity siphon, and bottled at the winery. The result is a range of clean, delicious, vibrant wines that have earned Scintilla a reputation as one of the country's most refined natural wine producers — satisfying even those who usually hesitate at the term "natural." [^14^][^16^][^22^]
From Melbourne Sommelier to Hillside Farmer
James Madden began his wine career as a sommelier in Melbourne — a city with one of Australia's most dynamic wine scenes. But the pull of the vineyard proved stronger than the dining room. Along with his partner Sam, James made the decision to uproot their lives in Melbourne and move to the Adelaide Hills, taking up plots of vines in a region that was fast becoming Australia's natural wine capital. It was 2017, and the Adelaide Hills — particularly Basket Range — was already home to pioneers like Jauma, Lucy Margaux, and Shobbrook [^14^][^16^].
James brought with him vintage experience from as near as the Mornington Peninsula and as far afield as the Languedoc in France. He had also worked alongside James Erskine of Jauma — one of Australia's most influential natural winemakers — absorbing the philosophy and rigour that would shape his own approach. Since 2017, James has had years to experiment and refine his processes of farming and vinification, remaining unwavering in his commitment to staunchly minimal-intervention winemaking [^13^][^14^].
In 2021, a pivotal moment: James and Sam purchased 36 acres on Peramangk Country in Basket Range, giving Scintilla a permanent home. This slice of paradise — where they live, grow, and make wine — became the heart of the project. The property is not just a vineyard but a commitment to nurturing and regenerating the country, which James describes as "both exciting and a privilege" [^15^][^22^].
"Not just natural wine, but good wine. Wine that will satisfy even those who usually baulk at the term."
— Mesa Wine
Six Sites, One Philosophy
Scintilla draws fruit from six distinct vineyard sites across South Australia — each chosen for its organic or biodynamic management, its unique geology, and its potential to express place without manipulation. All vines are grown and managed with organic and/or biodynamic principles. All grapes are hand-picked. This is not a negociant operation picking up cheap fruit; it is a curated network of like-minded growers who share James's commitment to living soils and clean farming [^15^][^22^].
The 36-acre Scintilla home farm on Peramangk Country. Chenin Blanc. Organic (not certified). Loamy red and blue clay soils over sandstone, with schist, ironstone, shale and quartz. This is where James, Sam, and their children Flo, Augie & Billie live and grow. The heart of the project — a slice of paradise committed to regeneration [^15^].
A remarkable leased vineyard with 21 varieties co-planted — bush vine and trellis. Organic (not certified). Loamy soils with sandy loamy parts, red clay subsoils with schist and sandstone. This was formerly the source of Gentle Folk's legendary "Rainbow Juice" — a field blend of 21 varieties — before James Madden took over the lease from Gareth Belton [^15^][^23^].
NASSA Certified Organic. Chardonnay (G9V7, I10v1), Pinot Noir (Mv6, ABEL), and Gamay. Loamy soils with well-structured clayey subsoils grading to weathering rock with schist, siltstones, fine sandstones, quartz and dolomites. A site of exceptional geological complexity that gives the wines profound mineral character [^15^].
Organic (not certified). Pinot Gris and Gamay. Sandy loam and red-clay blended soils, with deep red clay subsoils scattered with blue-red slate, quartz and ironstone. A site that contributes to Scintilla's textured whites and vibrant reds, with a distinct mineral imprint from the slate and quartz [^15^].
NASSA Certified Organic. Pinot Noir and Tempranillo. Deep sandy loamy soils, white-brown mottled clayey subsoils grading to weathering rock with fine sandstones and quartz. A higher, cooler site that gives Scintilla's Pinot Noir its signature tension and the Tempranillo a surprising freshness [^15^].
ACO Certified Organic. Savagnin. A new vineyard in the warm McLaren Vale, bringing a touch of the Jura to South Australia. The warm Mediterranean climate and diverse soils give the Savagnin a ripeness and body that is transformed by James's zero/zero approach into something vibrant and alive [^15^].
Zero/Zero — Nothing Added, Nothing Removed
James Madden prefers the term "living wine" to "natural wine." The distinction matters. By following a zero/zero approach where nothing is added or removed from the fermenting wine, James preserves the microorganisms living on the fruit. This creates a product that changes dramatically even after it's bottled — truly alive, evolving in the glass and the cellar. It is an approach that demands absolute cleanliness in the vineyard and the winery, because there are no safety nets — no sulfur to mask faults, no filtration to strip character [^16^][^22^].
All grapes are hand-picked and wild-yeast fermented. All wines are transferred by siphon using gravity — no pumps, no aggressive handling. They are not fined or filtered. No additions of any kind: no sulfur, no yeasts, no enzymes, no acids, no tannins. Just grapes. The wines are bottled at the winery, on the farm where James and his family live. This is not remote-control winemaking; it is hands-on, present, and deeply personal [^22^].
The result is a range that spans bright, bubbly pét-nats to nutty, oxidative numbers in the style of the Jura. James has developed a reputation for making some of the most exciting natural wines in the country — wines that are clean, delicious, and refined. The zero/zero approach is not a gimmick; it is a discipline that requires better farming, better hygiene, and better patience. And the wines prove it works [^16^].
Living Wine — The Scintilla Difference
Where many natural wine producers use "minimal intervention" as a catch-all, James Madden is precise: zero added, zero removed. This means the wines are alive with the microorganisms of their vineyards — evolving in bottle, changing in the glass, and offering a different experience with every encounter. The pet-nats are bright and effervescent. The oxidative whites are nutty and complex. The reds are vibrant and pure. This is not a single style; it is a philosophy applied across varieties, sites, and vintages. The common thread is life.
A Family on Peramangk Country
Scintilla is a family affair. James Madden makes the wines; his partner Sam is integral to the project; and their children Flo, Augie & Billie are growing up on the farm, surrounded by vines, orchards, and the rhythms of the seasons. This is not a corporate winery or a vanity project — it is a home, a livelihood, and a commitment to the land. The farm is their slice of paradise, and they treat it as such [^22^].
The project acknowledges its position on Peramangk, Kaurna, and Ngadjuri lands — the sovereignty of which was never ceded. Scintilla pays respects to Elders past and present, and celebrates the enduring connection to Country, knowledge, and stories of the First Nations peoples who have cared for this land for millennia. This is not just acknowledgment; it is woven into the fabric of how James and Sam farm and live [^22^].
In the wider Adelaide Hills natural wine community, Scintilla sits alongside Jauma, Lucy Margaux, Gentle Folk, and Shobbrook as part of a movement that has redefined Australian wine. James's connection to James Erskine of Jauma — having worked with him and learned from his approach — places Scintilla in a direct lineage of Australian natural wine excellence. The wines are served in natural wine bars from Melbourne to London, and the reputation grows with every vintage [^13^][^16^].
"This is our slice of paradise, where we live and grow. We are committed to nurturing and regenerating this country which is both exciting and a privilege."
— James, Sam, Flo, Augie & Billie, Scintilla Wines
The Scintilla Range
All wines are made from organically or biodynamically grown grapes with zero additions and zero removals. Hand-harvested, wild-yeast fermented, gravity-transferred, unfined, unfiltered. Bottled at the winery on the farm. The range covers pét-nats, whites, orange wines, reds, and oxidative styles from six vineyard sites across Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, and Barossa Valley. Production is limited and varies by vintage [^22^].