Right next to the Merry Widow Inn at Glenrowan, infamous of Kelly gang folklore, Richard Bailey set up shop to service prospectors during the great Victorian gold rush of the 1860s. Rows of newly planted Shiraz soon followed and the Baileys released their first vintage in 1870. The region was ultimately infected by the terrible vine killing plague of the 1890s, a guarded blessing for Glenrowan, which elevated the quarantine status of its vitiated vineyards to a marque of the highest provenance. Baileys endure as one of the new world's most arcane and mythical wineworks, a small estate of historically significant parcels, producing limited vintages, defined by their exceptional value, purity of parentage and wondrous regional..
The bushranger's brew»
Jack Mann reigns eternal as the greatest winemaker in the history of the Australian west. Jack Mann's son Tony grew up amongst the vineyards of Houghton but took a keener interest in things Cricket. He exelled at both pursuits but is best remembered as the legendary leg spinner Tony Rocket Mann. During his off seasons away from the pitch, Tony would plant parcels of vine alongside his illustruious father Jack and his own young son Robert. The fully grown Robert now makes his own wine, from fruit of the very vines sown by Jack and Tony Mann. Robert learned from his grandfather that great winemaking required a spiritual oneness with nature. The birds and the bees play a pivotal role in achieving a harvest of the most personable grapes. The ultimate quality of the ferments are decided by..
Whence the west was won»
More savoury than fruity, a faint hint of clove and fresh cardamom adds intrigue to the nose. Ata Rangi founder Clive Paton has long been an avid tree planter and has won a number of awards for... More»
Ripe blackberry fruit palate, currant and red cherry flavours, the savouryness of olive and tobacco. Mike Press knows about red wine, he learned his craft at Penfolds while working alongside the man who created the... More»
Palate is mid weight, yet suprisingly supple and rich. Pinot Noir is the most temperamental of wine grape varieties and remains the ultimate challenge for many makers... More»
Very bright and inviting with red berry aromas. A stylish wine crafted from the holy triumvirate of sparkling grape varietals, Taltarni were one of Australia's first wineries to... More»
A velvet palate that's loaded with intense fruit flavours, festive cake and dark cherry notes, a wonderful red berry acid line keeps everything vital. The top contender for the most exceptional value in outstanding yet underrated Australian red wine... More»
Rich, plump mid palate with savoury flavours, characters of rhubarb and ham, sleek tannins that glide across the palate. The Father in Law is a single block of elite vine, originally acquired to keep Mrs Melton's dad busy after... More»
Planted to the tranquil Shangri-La of a sun warmed slope in Yarra Valley, TarraWarra was established 1983 by the founders of the Sussan and Sportsgirl brands. Philanthropists and patrons of the arts, Mr and Mrs Besen, AO and AO respectively, took a highly aesthetic approach to the pursuit of viticulture. Healthy soils and happy fauna were the means to an end, good wine comes from a sound ecology, but great wine needs the inspiration of a holistic engagement with the arts. It is here at Healesville that habitues can savour the Sauvignon while immersing themselves amongst the work of our national masters. A costly collection of canvas by our merry Messrs Boyd and Whiteley, Drysdale, Brack and Pugh, presenting the most opulent environment, to sip and savour the ferments of fruit picked within a painter's eye view. A range of wines to..
Take the trek to tarrawarra»
Old Richmond Gaol was one of Diemen Land's first prisons, built by the convicts themselves, of good old fashioned granite blocks, laboriously hauled in wooden hand carts and quarried from the ominously monikered Butchers Hill. Today, Butchers Hill is the site of the steepest sloping vineyard in Coal River Valley, invigorated by afternoon sea breezes and prevailing winds from the roaring forties, its highly auspicious, self mulching black Vertosols, yield extraordinary wines. Established by founding members of the Hobart Beefsteak & Burgundy Club, Butchers Hill represents three generations of passion amongst the nether vineyards of the Apple Isle. Not just a purveyor of pretty Pinot Noir, Pooley Estate have achieved status as Tasmania’s first and only, fully accredited Environmentally Certified Sustainable Vineyard, further claiming the..
Princely parcels of pooley»