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 world class wine. Vineyards thusly planted.. Barriques between the billabongs»

Somewhere near the Seaview end of McLaren Vale's Chapel Hill Road, a perfunctory passerine perched her pincers astride a pair of power poles and saw herself alit. Down she went amongst the dry grown branches of an old Grenache vineyard, setting the valuable veterans ablaze. The scorched site eventually came to the attention of a winemaking trio, the Messrs Leske, Tynan & Cooke, Masters of Wine and a venerable vintner, all driven by a consuming passion to make greater Grenache. Thistledown vintage very small amounts of the most extraordinary Grenache. Beautifully detailed and conspicuously elegant, their floral bouquets and graceful finish emulate the aromatic lift and peacock's tail of a prettily.. Polly & the pyre to paradise»

Dr Frederick Kiel would take the trek by paddle steamer from Melbourne every summer during the late 1800s to spend his summers at Sorrento. His children established a grazing station nearby, on a property acquired from the Baillieu family along Portsea Ocean Beach, ultimately planted to vineyards in 2000. These are the most extreme western longitudes of Mornington, the undulating paddocks and sweeping views of tempestuous Bass Strait are a magical place for growing Burgundesque styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, well protected north facing parcels of propitious free draining limestone and calcareous sands. The windswept maritime vineyards of little Portsea Estate yield the quality of Mornington that.. Mornington's westernmost vineyards»

Excruciatingly low yields, a ruthless hand sorting of fruit, ferments in new oak barrels and twenty months maturation, Bowen Estate are one of Coonawarra's most prestigious marques, maintaining a standard of excellence which merits inclusion into the highly prestigious Langtons Classification of Australian Wine. Essential for every enthusiast of stellar quality Cabernet Sauvignon, brought within easy reach this week at the down to earth.. Excellent langtons classification of australian wine»

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.. Phyloxera, ancient cellars & seriously old vines»

Josef Chromy OAM escaped from war torn Czechoslovakia as a penniless 19 year old in 1950, he fled across minefields, evading soldiers and killer dogs, ultimately finding a new home in the lucky country. Chromy has been a long standing principal in the Tasmanian food and wine industry, he established Tasmania's leading brands, including Bay of Fires, Jansz, Heemskerk and Tamar Ridge. At 76 years young, he launched his namesake label, planting one of the apple isle's most stately vineyards and gazetting Tasmania's most compellingly stylish range of wines. Chromy's sensational vintages are as conspicuous for the uniqueness of their character as they are for their sublime and articulate charm. They divide the industry press and excite all adherents of.. Tasty treats from the apple isle»

The 1890s brought boom years to the nascent Aussie wine industry, as connoisseurs throughout Europe and the Empire were introduced to the Dionysian delights of new world Claret by Tyrrell, St Huberts and Wirra Wirra. An enterprising family of Scots took heed of the times to plant grapevines on a uniquely auspicious block in Valley Clare, they called it St Andrew and produced forty vintages of the most sensational quality Claret until the 1930s. The Taylor family acquired the fallow farm in 1995 and brought St Andrew's vines back to life. The treasured block endures as home to the flagship range of Taylor wines, one of the most distinguished vineyards in all Australia. St Andrew's Cabernet was adjudicated by Union de la Sommellerie Française as Best.. *according to the french»

Returned servicemen from the Great War could look forward to government grants of pastoral freehold. West Australia's Willyabrup Valley was such a place, just a short walk from the balmy beaches of Indian Ocean, it offered the veterans excellent potential for agriculture. The fertile lands of Sussex Vale were originally established to animal husbandry by the discharged troopers, generations of livestock enriched the soils and it was astutely sown to vines in 1973. Fortuitously placed at the very heart of the Australian west's most illustrious estates, it continued to occupy the thoughts of neighbouring Howard Park's chief winemaker, until he acquired the property and relaunched a softly spoken range of the most exquisite wines. Aspirants of the blue.. A better block on hay shed hill»