W. J. Seabrook & Son have been a part of the Australian wine industry since 1878. Many an ancient storefront, right across the country, are still emblazoned with the family label. Fifth generation vigneron Hamish Seabrook drew inspiration from time well spent at other illustrious estates, establishing his own personal repute as a distinguished winemaker during tours of duty at Bests Great Western, Brown Brothers Milawa and the Barossa's exalted Dorrien. A key to the long lived excellence of the Seabrook trademark has been a canny selection of exceptional vineyards fruit. Hamish hand chooses his harvests from the finest vineyards in the land, just as his forefathers did. He is a proud recipient of the prestigious Dux Len Evans and is an eminient jurist at the.. Salutations to seabrook»

Returning to his home along the Nagambie Lakes after the completion of service during World War II, Eric Purbrick discovered a cache of wine, hidden circa 1876 under the family estate cellars. Though pale in colour, it was sound and drinkable after seven decades. The promise of long lived red wine inspired Purbrick to establish new plantings at Chateau Tahbilk in 1949, today they are some of Victoria's oldest productive Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Having barely scraped through the ravages of phyloxera and a period of disrepute, the fortunes of Tahbilk were turned around by Purbrick who was the first to market Australian wine under its varietal name. Tahbilk proudly hosts the largest, single holding of Marsanne on the planet. Tahbilk's original rows of Shiraz are.. Phyloxera, ancient cellars & seriously old vines»

Xavier Bizot can make wine anywhere he pleases, he is a Bollinger and grew up amongst the Vignobles Superieurs of Champagne. Bizot has chosen to make wine alongside Brian Croser's family, from grapes harvested off three magnificent sites, on two paradoxically varied terrains. Planted to the salubrious Terra rosa soils atop an invaluable archeological dig at Wrattonbully, rich with the undisturbed fossils of ancient Cenozoic sea animals, Crayeres Vineyard was established right across the road from Tapanappa's illustrious Whalebone. The weather here is astonishingly similar to Bordeaux and makes an awesome Cabernet Franc. Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser are also fortunate to take their pick of properties in Adelaide Hills. To wit, Charles (Chilly) Hargrave's.. The twin tales of terre a terre»

Three British Army officers, in their capacity as agents of the East India Company, established one of Western Australia's first agricultural enterprises in 1836. Named after Captain Richmond Houghton, it was not until Thomas Yule's stewardship that vines were planted and the first vintage of Houghton wine flowed in 1859. Thomas Yule now sources fruit from the eminent Justin Vineyard in Frankland River, a dark ruby Shiraz of lifted liquorice and intense brambleberry, seasoned by piquant pepper notes and supported by showroom tannins. The very elite of Frankland River Shiraz... Artisanal wines of distinguished sites»

Airline pilots make surprisingly good wine. Their appreciation of the sciences, a respect for the weather and a bird's eye view of the land, all invaluable to the winemaker's art. John Ellis would take every opportune weekend away from his regular New York Paris route, to pursue a passion for viticulture. He planted the first commercial Cabernet Merlot vines in the Hamptons and found time between trans atlantic flights to work vintages amongst the Grand Cru vineyards of La Bourgogne. Ellis ultimately made the great lifelong sea change in favour of our land downunder. He settled on a farmstead outside Leongatha, amongst the slow ripening pastures of Gippsland and established a vineyard called Bellvale. It is now a place of fully mature vines and old world Burgundian techniques, sur lie et sauvage, barrel.. Placing pinot amongst the pastures»

Mount Difficulty are a commune of growers, established 1998 within the elite dress circle of Central Otago vineyards. Propitiously placed around the ancient goldfields of Cromwell Basin, their harvests had long been called upon for bottling under the labels of New Zealand's most conspicuous brands. Launched as a limited release of small batch, single block vintages, the co operative of accomplished growers, has evolved through critical acclaim and word of mouth, into a formidable range of Central Otago, defined by their excellence and exquisite eloquence of.. Venerable vignerons of the very deep south»