There were two scrub covered parcels of land, just outside Pokolbin village along McDonalds Road, that local council had long set aside for use as cricket ground and cemetery. Both were ultimately auctioned off to the highest bidders and sown to vine. A third undeveloped site became the subject of a long running feud among the new and old neighbours. Dodgy invoices between the rivals were exchanged and the division of firewood became a further cause of contention. A truce was eventually called by the two protagonists, Brokenwood and Hungerford Hill, for the sake of healthy viticulture. The nascent blocks achieved international renown as the eminent Cricket Pitch and the Langtons Listed Graveyard Vineyard, establishing Brokenwood as one of the most cherished.. Sociable soils make for healthy vine»

Medical practitioners are conspicuously over representedas proprietors, within the pantheon of Australia's most artisanal boutique vineyards and baronial winemaking estates.Is it really all about the quest for a healthy mind and healthy body, or rather something more visceral and indulgent that our physicians are practising?The chemists at Claymore have chosen to formulate their range of elixirs according to a taxonomy of remedial refrains.Santana's Black Magic Woman conjures up edifications of a brooding Cabernet Sauvignon. The Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon whets the palate for an opaque, cryptic Shiraz.A canon of unchained melodies, all from the fruit of some spectacular Clare Valley vineyards, palatable and poised, endowed withlayers of complexity,.. Completely in concert with clare»

Clonakilla are one of our nation's most eminent vineyard wineries, a tiny production operation, established by a CSIRO scientist at Murrumbateman, very near Canberra. It turned out to be a fortuitous planting, with a climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux and northern Rhone, the Clonakilla property now occupies a rank next to the mighty Grange on the prestigious Exceptional Langtons Classification, it yields vintages of Australia's most invaluable Shiraz. At $26.99, the estate's entry level belies its stature and excellence within the pantheon of great Australian wine, an essential experience this week for all enthusiasts, a canny choice for shrewd and judicious aspirants of elite new world Shiraz... Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»

Moet & Chandon originally acquired the Green Point property, an old dairy farm at Coldstream along Maroondah Highway, with a vision of establishing a prestigious Australian label. Set in the verdant hills of Victoria's propitious Yarra Valley, Domain Chandon continue to over deliver, completely dedicated to the production of the finest quality, cool climate table wines. The excellence of their renowned sparklings are due in no small part to the quality of the estate's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A regimen of extravagant Burgundian techniques, achieve a range of superlative Yarra Valley table.. These old yarra valley vines are just getting better»

Giovanni Tait mastered the family tradition of coopering wine barrels before migrating to Australia in 1957. He took up work in the Barossa and ultimately settled in for a lengthy engagement at B Seppelts and Sons, where he played a significant role in the vinification and maturation of some of the most memorable vintages in Australian viticulture. Tait's boys grew up to be winemakers, their attention to detail and close relationship with the Barossa's finest growers have earned the highest accolades from the international wine industry press. Generously proportioned yet exquisitely balanced, famously praised, perennially by savant Robert Parker as the most consistently outstanding quality, exceptional value wines from Barossa Valley... Bespoke parcels of old vineyard fruit»

Planted to a steep north facing slope, under the shades of an ancient sawmill, very near the estuaries Mersey and Don, the measured yields of an elite little vineyard are hand picked for vinification by the illustrious Josef Chromy wineworks at Relbia. Highly specialised with the effusive sparkling styles and aromatic whites, winners Winestate Alternative Varietal of Year, the barriques of Barringwood are percolating parcels of Pinot Noir, which are setting a benchmark for the artisanal boutique estates of Devonport and greater Launceston. Barringwood are grown within a unique mesoclime, the longest growing season in Tasmania, each bottle is remarkable for its expression and articulation of a truly opportune site. There are only a few productive hectares at Barringwood, highly prized & passionately husbanded,.. Ardour of affection on the apple isle»