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 ferments and.. Placing pinot amongst the pastures»

The family Hentschke have been Barossa farming since 1842, they know from good soils and settle on nothing but the finest land. Keith Hentschke chose a special site along Greenock Creek, at the intersection of Gerald Roberts and Jenke Roads, near the ancient winegrowing hamlet of Seppeltsfield to plant vines in the early 1990s. They now yield vintages of the most amazing intensity, saturated with the essence of grand Barossa Shiraz, an international wine industry favourite and a sagacious selection this.. Savour a sip of seppeltsfield»

The First Colonists to arrive in South Australia were brought to Kangaroo Island aboard HMS Buffalo in 1836. Sharing the journey was a veteran of the Royal Navy who had served aboard Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory. Frank Potts was an accomplished sailor and carpenter, he built many of the young colony's structures and trading vessels. Six generations later, the Potts family's precious plantings of Malbec have been a key component in many of the nation's most memorable and invaluable vintages for decades. A varietal that performs magnificently on the silty flood plains of Langhorne Creek, Bleasdale's pure Malbec bottlings are a profound statement about the excellence and eloquence which can be achieved after generations of husbanding one of the world's most instrumental yet abstruse wine.. Making the most magnificent malbec»

Major Sir Thomas Mitchell left more than just an invaluable bequeth of our nation's most detailed frontier maps. Mitchell distinguished himself in Wellington's army during the Napoleonic wars in the renowned 95th Baker Rifles. A gifted draftsman, he found his way to the nascent colonies of Australia, where his acumen at mapmaking won him the office of Surveyor General. During one of Mitchell's historical expeditions, he charted the fertile lands around Victoria's Goulburn Valley, establishing the colonial fruitgrowing township of Mitchell's Town. The district's auspicious orchards flourished until Colin Preece identified the region as an opportune place to grow.. Barriques between the billabongs»

Some precious old blocks of ancient vine Grenache still remain after a government sponsored program to cull unproductive vineyards during the 1980s. Yielding excruciatingly small harvests of the most characterful fruit, these wizzened old veterans deliver small batch vintages which are evocative of the old world classics from Cotes du Rhone. The enduring Wirra Wirra were established 1894, their eclectic range belies the splendour of small parcels which are separately handled and bottled for exclusive release. The Absconder draws fruit from vines planted a century ago, it merits a breathing and decant, an articulation about the sublime excellence of old vine.. The compelling case for old vines grenache»

Heirloom Vineyards were born of love. A romance between an esteemed wine judge and his protege, consumated by a shared passion to preserve the integrity of venerable old vineyards. A deference for the sanctity of the soil and adherence to the timeless procedures of organic viticulture, were an integral part of the vision. Their parching quest, to secure some grand old blocks of vine in the elder precincts of Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra, Barossa and Valley Eden, were followed by years of corrective husbandry, pencil label releases and bespoke vintages. The fostered old vines have now been resurrected, yielding treasured harvests of the most sublime new world wine... Serenading sleeping vineyards to life»

There are but two winemakers who can lay claim to a staggering four Jimmy Watson Trophy victories. Wolf Blass was the man behind the label. John Glaetzer was the man behind Wolf Blass. While working for Wolf, Glaetzer was moonlighting on his own brand, applying the same extravagance of technique to the pick of Langhorne Creek fruit. Perfection in the form of black bramble fruit, muscular yet affable tannins, all framed by the luxury of ebony oak. Aspirants of the great Black Blass Label fables of 1974, 1975 and 1976, are privately advised to avail themselves of John's Blend, Cabernet or Shiraz. Crafted from the same parcels, in the same way, by the same hands, that.. Timeless mystique of langhorne creek»