After hearing tall tales of the Victorian klondike, he jumped ship and made his way to the Castlemaine goldfields. Black Jack mined no fortune but he found his fame as the only American mariner to still be savoured alongside have claimed the eminent M.Chapoutier Trophy for Best Shiraz at the prestigious Le Concours des Vinson on no fewer than three occasions... Found berth in the australian colonies during the goldrush of the 1850s»

Hurtle Walker first picked grapes as a ten year old on the celebrious Magill property in 1900. Apprenticed to the legenderies Monsieur Duray and Leon Mazure, Walker was placed in charge of sparkling wine production for the historic Auldana Cellars at the ripe old age of 21. He saw service as a soldier in World War I and made great wine until 1975. Hurtle Walker's grandson continues the family tradition, partnering with Jimmy Watson winner David O'Leary to acquire the most auspicious Clare Valley vineyards and establish one of the nation's leading marques. Between the two, O'Leary and Waker have claimed every prestigious accolade in the land, a breathtaking tally of dozens national Trophies and countless.. The illustrious pair of valley clare»

Balgownie are one of our nation's great small vineyards, pioneers of the reprise in Bendigo viticulture, with the foresight to establish vines in 1969, the first local plantings in over eighty years. Grown to terrains very near the tailings of Victoria's original gold rush, the auspicious Balgownie vines yield discreet yet exquisite harvests of the most edifying and undervalued Victorian vintages. A bespoke favourite amongst enthusiasts of the old school style in elegant and finely boned Aussie Shiraz, Balgownie represent the essential accompaniment to meaty eggplant inspired recipes, or a princely roast of lamb, the best of.. Balgownie begets the best of bendigo»

Ken Helm A.M. received the Order of Australia for his work with Riesling, for his contribution to the Australian wine industry, for his support of cool climate wine producers and service to the Canberra community. Helm placed the Canberra region firmly on the map for world class wines after his inaugural 1977 release won significant international accolades. Ken's flagship wines are Riesling and Cabernet, he retains strong ties with eminent wine makers around the globe. Trips to the vineyards and wineries of Mosel, the Rhine valley and Bordeaux provide new inspiration and contribute to the development of his Canberra wines. In 2000 Ken instigated the Canberra International Riesling Challenge, his.. Meet one of our nation's most peer respected winemakers»

Beechworth attracts the most artisanal winemakers, the region's rich mineral soils and parched, undulating terrains, breed wines of vigorous flavour, crystalline textures and boney savoury tannins. The first parcel of Crown Land in the region was acquired by Isaac Phillips in 1857, he christened his estate Golden Ball and built a hotel named Honeymooners Inn, servicing miners on their way up the steep trails to the Beechworth goldfields. The old pub remains but the surrounding land has been turned over to viticulture, planted to vine in the nineteen naughties, it produces a quality of wine that's reserved for the nation's most exclusive winelists. Served by savvy sommeliers and savoured by the most discerning patrons, the limited releases of Golden Ball.. Small batches of beechworth's best»

Just outside the Gippsland town of Leongatha, a few minutes down the road from the hallowed grounds at Bass Phillip estate, ten precious acres of exceptional terroir were planted in 1990, to artisanal clones of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. The propitious easterly aspects make the most of morning sun, an auspicious bequeath of fertile Ferrosols oblige the rootstock and infuse the fruit, while reducing the vigor and rationing the harvest. Lucinda Estate was never established as a producer of scale, its scant yields were always destined to be in pursuit of stunning Syrah and the perfect Pinot. Victoria's Gippsland is a place of paradise for vintages in the Burgundy style, a oenological wonderland of restrained releases from vivid little vineyards... A glimpse of the gippsland grail»

Lindsay McCall's enthusiasm for great wine began in the 1970s, he established his first Mornington plantings in 1985 on the site of a derelict orchard at Red Hill along Paringa Road. From day one, McCall focused on exactingly managing the soils and the vines, after completing his day job as local school teacher. His affinity for the land and astonishing feel for winemaking produced monumental vintages of Pinot Noir, which propelled the exquisite range of Paringa Estate wines to international renown. McCall works closely with Mornington's finest vignerons to nurture better standards of viticulture and deliver finer vintages with each harvest. Limited yields of elite parcels, the artisanal efforts of Paringa Estate are regional icons, weaving the pick of.. Exquisite editions by the master of mornington»

Established 1968 by Word War II flyer Egerton E.S Dennis, on ninety acres of McLaren Flat along the prestigious winegrowing terroirs at Kangarillla Road, the Dennis family pioneered the production of Mead alongside colleague and enthusiast John Maxwell. Dennis initially sold his harvests to some of Australia's most eminent brands before founding his own label in 1971,with the object of converting the high quality fruit into pure, estate made wines. Since establishment, Dennis Wines have collected hundreds of medals at national and international wine shows, twice claiming the revered Bushing King awards for best wine at the McLaren Vale Winemakers Exhibition. A quiet achiever of bespoke old vine Shiraz with a scanty production of 5000 dozen annually, be.. Dennis of kangarilla road»