Category: Winery

Chaffey Bros Wine is a boutique winery located in the Barossa Valley wine region of South Australia. The winery was founded by brothers-in-law Daniel Chaffey Hartwig and Theo Engela in 2008. They established Chaffey Bros Wine with the goal of producing distinctive, high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of the Barossa Valley. And then this happened!

 One of the most notable aspects of Chaffey Bros Wine Co. is their focus on reinterpreting the wines that made the region famous, whilst exploring special vineyards, varieties and subregions. Their commitment to using unique varietals of the Barossa, whilst also heroing the regions traditional varietals; Old Vine Riesling & Shiraz from Eden Valley, and Old Vine Grenache and Shiraz from Barossa Valley, allows them to offer a unique and distinctive wine selection that sets them apart from the rest. Purity of fruit, and minimal intervention winemaking underpin their professed passion for storytelling. Oh, and this is what the winemakers look like without paint 🙂

Chaffey Bros Wine Co. source grapes from individual parcels of epic low yielding vineyards, nestled among the Barossa and Eden Valleys. Drawing on true old vines and complex soils, they see themselves as part perfumiers – discovering delicate aromas; part historians – preserving the purity of pristine fruit; and part mad scientists – revelling in the lost art of small-batch winemaking. How amazing are the wine varietal textures.

Furthermore, Chaffey Bros Wine Co. is renowned for their unique label designs and small-batch, artisanal production methods. This attention to detail and craftsmanship contributes to the overall quality and excellence of their wines. The winery’s dedication to producing wines that reflect the specific terroir and microclimates of the Barossa Valley is another commendable aspect. And here’s the guys out in the winery. Happy bunch aren’t they!

Overall, Chaffey Bros Wine Co. is known for its innovative and creative approach to winemaking, producing award-winning wines that reflect their passion for the Barossa and Eden Valleys. The Bros’ winemaking philosophy is ‘New Wave Barossa’… Soil up. Aromatic. Textural. Unadulterated.

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If you love cool climate wines from Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula (Victoria) or the Great Southern (WA), then it might be time to try wines from the Hilltops region in NSW and Tumbaramba, on the outskirts of the Snowy Mountains.

A great place to start is meet Jason & Alecia Brown, owners of both Moppity Vineyards in the cool climate region of Hilltops in Southern NSW and Coppabella Vineyard in Tumbaramba…. the only, James Halliday, five star rated winery in Tumbarumba!

They have a lot to smile about! Moppity Vineyards has been crowned “Most Successful Exhibitor” for the eighth time in ten years (a record for the show), collecting a total of five trophies, 6 gold medals and 16 other awards at the 2023 Canberra and Region Wine Show.

So where is Tumbaramba?  About 250 kilometres south of Canberra.  The short history of the region is that Ian Cowell, senior wine maker at Lindeman’s, was tasked with finding a region on mainland Australia that could produce premium grapes for Sparkling wine production. He searched for terrain that shared climatic similarities with France’s Champagne region. In 1993, Cowell established a vineyard in Tumbarumba. Who knew!

Tumbarumba is not an easy place to grow grapes. Winter is bitterly cold, Spring is punctuated by severe frosts, the hills are frightenly steep and it is remote, really remote! As Jason points out “Ultra-premium viticulture here is laborious and extremely expensive, however, the most magnificent achievements often begin with the greatest challenges.” Yet there’s a magic to this wine district! Even the wallabies even pose for a picture, its that kind of a place.

Moppity Wines, Hilltops Region in NSW
While many wine lovers know Canberra and Murrumbateman wine districts, the Hilltops Region is closeby and home to Moppity Vineyard. Moppity’s altitude is 600m (in Australia, less than 1% of the viticultural land is at an altitude of 600m or more) and similar to Coté Rôtie in Northern Rhone.

Moppity’s Reserve Shiraz won the “Wine Of Provenance” trophy at the 2023 Canberra and Region Wine Show where judges assessed three vintages of a single wine spanning at least 10 years. Moppity entered their Reserve Shiraz from 2022, 2015 and 2009. So the wine from these regions is award wining and the region has a bright future. It’s time for you to visit these emerging cool climate regions.

Read more about Moppity Wines.

Derice McDonald, the wine-maker’s wife, reflects on 30 years on country and looks to the future as their newest vineyard is planted out.

Ross and I are establishing Macquariedale Organic Wines, one of the highest vineyards in Australia in the Towac Valley on the side of Mount Canobolas, Orange. As we grapple with the many challenges of starting a vineyard from scratch – why do we do it? – it has brought back memories of when we established our first vineyard in the Hunter Valley.

Then, we were as green as possible, not the tree-hugging green that came later, although we always had deep roots in the soil. Ross made wine in his bedroom as a teenager and planted a few rows of vines on his auntie’s farm, which was called Macquariedale. As a child, I wandered through my grandparents’ vineyard, tasting the grapes as they ripened.

The year we first planted in the Hunter Valley, 1993, was as wet as this year has been. But this year has definitely topped 1993. A different location brings new challenges, and one of the many on our new farm is rocks! Mount Canobolas is an extinct volcano with rich soil, filled with worms and rocks from smaller than a baby’s hand to sizes that can only be handled by a Bobcat. But rocks have positives – providing great minerals to the soil and being in a cool climate; when the land warms, so do the rocks holding the heat in the soil, which is beneficial for the vines.

It’s been thirty years since we began our wine journey, and it has taken us along paths we hadn’t anticipated or planned for. Ross’s background is as a chemical engineer, which is very beneficial in understanding soil science and winemaking. He brings his knowledge and experience with a big heart. My skills are more in the creative and intuitive areas. I could see the vision and hold it even when we didn’t have the answers.

Many times, a leap of faith was required. We both embraced sustainability – it came naturally and made sense to us. We were the first vineyard in the Hunter Valley to become Certified Organic/Biodynamic. It put us outside most of the wine community then, but we passionately believed in farming and living holistically. We wanted to one day leave the land we cared for in a better condition than when we took guardianship of it.

We also believe that we are responsible to our customers as whatever we put on the land and vines will eventually end up in the bottle of wine. So we must face our customers with a clear conscience of how we farm in the vineyard, the vegetable gardens, olive trees, garlic, orchard and house gardens. We also believe we have a responsibility to future generations. So we didn’t want to be cursed for what we had done.

When I walk the land, I feel and hear Her. I’m not Aboriginal, but I understand their love of country and how important being on country is to their well-being.

The wine reflects the land and the people that care for Her. Every vintage, we strive to make the best possible wine from the grapes grown that season. We love how this is reflected in the bottle, the story it tells whether it was hot and dry, cool and wet, or a perfect season with the right amount of sun, heat and rain – if only that happened every vintage.

We take a minimal intervention approach in the winery to allow the grapes and the season to do the talking. The fullness of flavour and cleanness on the palette tells the sustainable story.

Thirty years on, we establish our new vineyard with memories of the excitement of harvesting the first grapes from those vines, tasting the grapes through the growing and winemaking, and the anticipation of a beautiful, well-balanced wine when we pour it from the bottle for the first time. With the future in mind, we’ve just planted the Pinot Noir, and now we have a few years to wait.

In the meantime, we will travel through the seasons with the vines, nurturing them as we did to our growing family with love and encouragement to be the best they can be, reaching for the sky, and adapting to life’s challenges. As we see this in the lives and on the faces of our adult children, we will taste it when we pour it into glasses to share with family and friends.

A wonderful surprise in the wine game is serendipity. The people you meet along the way makes the journey as exciting as tasting the next vintage. And as fate had it, we had the pleasure of technology and wine worlds colliding by meeting with Donald Plumley, co-owner of Soliste Wines from Sonoma County, California.

The Sonoma Coast is a California wine-growing region that spans between the Pacific Ocean Coast and the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. It is a beautiful part of the world.

In Burgundy, France, a “Soliste,” is a special barrel kept by a winemaker for friends and family. As the Soliste Pinot Noir wines are often produced from just one or two barrels, the name is very apt. Claude, the winemaker and co-owner of Soliste Wines grew up in Burgundy, and after training with Paul Bocuse and Alain Chapel, became the youngest Michelin 3-star chef in Paris at La Vivarois.

In the US, Claude was the executive chef at L’Orangerie, and Le Cirque 2000. A James Beard Award winning Master Chef, Claude is recently retired from the specialty food products company he founded and is among the most knowledgeable Burgundy lovers in the world. Soliste is probably the only winery with a 3-Star Chef winemaker, and a favorite of Sommeliers and is found on the wine lists of some truly exceptional restaurants today.

The four MonoClone® Pinot Noirs produced since the 2010 vintage are sourced from Sonatera Vineyard, Keller Estate (located in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast), and Guidici Vineyard (located near Occidental), all in the Sonoma Coast appellation.

The Forêt is 100% Clone 23 (Mariafeld) and the L’Ambroise 100% clone “828” are sourced from the Guidici Vineyard. The L’Espérance is 100% clone 115 and Sonatera is 100% clone “777” sourced from Sonatera Vineyard, and the Nouveau Monde is 100% Pommard clone from Keller Estate. It is of interest to discuss each wine individually.

Traditional vineyard designate Pinot Noir is a combination off all the clones from a site to maximize production. In the New World, Single clone Pinot Noir was once criticized as lacking in some component such that it is not a complete wine. Claude and Don both disagree, and argue that it comes down to matching the site with the specific clone and indeed, the precise cooperage (barrel). Their pursuit to craft wines that honor their Burgundian benchmarks (historically also from single clones) is relentless and reflects a deep partnership rooted in old-world traditions.

Visit www.soliste.com to view current releases and enjoy!

Need a break from the humdrum of city life? We have the perfect boutique Barossa Valley break for you!

You may not know that in 2020, Whistler Wines was named “Best Small Cellar Door” in the Barossa Valley by GT Wine Magazine! Whistler Wines gained recognition after winning multiple awards including “Best White Wine in Show” for the 2000 Estate Semillon at the Barossa Wine Show and “World’s Top 10 Shiraz” for the 2006 Estate Shiraz from Winestate Awards in 2009. So now you know!

And let us introduce the main man behind Whistler Wines, Mr Sam Pfeiffer. Yeah the big guy, that’s him right here..

Although Sam’s focus is slinging wine (sales), he started out in the wine industry working vintages in the Barossa at Peter Lehmann, Yalumba and abroad in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, California as well as in Marlborough, New Zealand.

In fact, grape growing has been part of the Pfeiffer family way of life for four generations. Founder, Martin Pfeiffer grew up on a vineyard, as his father before him, and afforded his kids the same opportunity at Penfolds’ Kalimna Estate. As Penfolds’ Head Vineyard Manager, Martin was fortunate enough to obtain cuttings from the famous ‘Grange’ vineyards (the Kalimna 3C clone), which were the 1st plantings on the estate in 1994. Still family owned, by Martin’s son Sam, the vineyard is now run using organic and biodynamic practices to produce both quality fruit and exceptional wine.

His love for people is what eventually lead him into sales which began in fine wine liquor stores and evolved into representing brands such as Bollinger Champagne, Henschke, Petaluma and Oyster Bay here in Australia and in Canada. And now in his spare time, you’ll see him and the lads from Whistler Wines sitting on the barrels, tasting and talking wine.

And with sunsets like this below (yes a real picture taken from the cellar door), you’ll be very excited to get down to Whistler Wines for a tasting, a great cheese & fruit platter as well as a staycation. Yes, that’s right, there is a gorgeous accommodation on the vineyard! Hosted by Sally & Martin Pfeiffer, this private, self-contained, 2 bedroom guest wing is surrounded by vines and gardens. Located on our Heysen Estate Vineyard just up the hill from our Cellar Door, it’s the perfect location to relax and explore the Barossa.

We look forward to hosting you at our Cellar Door where you can enjoy our premium range of wines. Our tastings are available at our indoor tables which are reserved for patrons 18 years and over. We have 4 tasting tables which can accommodate groups of up to 6 people and are run on a first come first serve basis.

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Matt Pellew’s key role in the successes of Corryton Burge’s inaugural wine releases, along with his more than 20-year contribution to the Barossa wine industry, has seen the chief winemaker named the 2022 Barossa Winemaker of the Year. Listen to Matt speak about the prestigeous honour …..

The Barons of Barossa, a wine fraternity of almost 100 men and women established in 1975 to promote and foster the world-renowned region’s wine, food, heritage and lifestyle, gather each year on the third Sunday of February to declare the vintage, herald the official start of the Barossa grape harvest and recognise a winemaker who has made a significant contribution to the industry, producing wines that exhibit the regionality of Barossa grapes, and generously shares their knowledge with others.

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Over the years and working with some of the Barossa’s most ancient vines, Matt has honed his craft with varieties such as Riesling, Chardonnay and Shiraz, all of which are true expressions of their vineyards. He readily admits, however, that his secret wine passion lies in the challenge of mastering blends of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre and producing exquisitely balanced Cabernet from Eden Valley.

Trent Burge, who established Corryton Burge with sister Amelia some two years ago, described Matt as a most worthy winner and a vital part of their winemaking team. Matt, who has extensive knowledge of oak and selects barrels from multiple coopers around the world, lives our brand philosophy of bringing out the very best in each variety. “His experience must take much of the credit for our inaugural successes, which include Corryton Burge receiving a five-star rating in our first foray into Halliday’s Wine Companion and being shortlisted – one of just 10 wineries from a field of over 200 new entrants – for the New Winery of the Year award.”

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Meet Luís Seabra as he is something of a rock star among Portuguese winemakers. He worked for a decade at Niepoort, a famous producer of ports and red wines in Portugal’s great wine region, the Douro Valley. Luís has been responsible for some of the highest-rated wines of Niepoort!

The Portguese Rockstar Winemaker
Luís Seabra Vinhos began producing wines under his own label in 2013 and today gaining fame from increased exposure throughout Australia. The Luís Seabra wines are often blends of several grape varieties, many of which most Australians would not have heard.

Whites include rabigato, còdega, gouveio (verdelho), and viosinho e donzelinho branco. Reds include rufete, tinta carvalha, alicante bouchet, touriga franca, tinta roriz, tinta amarela, tinta barroca, malvasia negra, malvasia preta, donzelinho tinto, and touriga brasileira.

A Renaissance in Forgotten Varietals
Some of these varieties fell into obscurity because they were low yielding, disease-prone or otherwise troublesome. They are being rediscovered by Luís. Some of the wines were partly fermented in lagares, the open stone fermenters traditionally used for port, where they are also foot-trodden to crush the berries and mix the fermenting juice.

Pure Portuguese Wines
The philosophy at Luís Seabra Vinhos is encapsulated in the brand name Cru, which means raw. Luis’s aim is to make wines that really tell you where they come from, wine from specific vineyards with minimal intervention, wines that are true and honest, raw and pure.

Luís is always looking for the highest quality grapes and deals with several growers whom he knows and trusts. He constantly experiments and explores new possibilities: various soil types (mostly schist & granite), different altitudes (up to 600 meters above sea level), indigenous grape varieties and old vine parcels.

Explore the Douro Valley with Luís
Watch Luís exploring the remote corners of the Douro Valley and discovering the old vines from which he makes his wines from. They are marked by exceptional length and concentration of flavour. Using French and large Eastern European oak barrels only for maturation and in some cases for fermentation, preserving the character of the grape and expressing the vineyard is the priority.

Rarely do you find someone as dedicated to their trade as Nicks Mills, winemaker at Bio Dynamic Certified Rippon Vineyard. As you watch this video, you’ll be blown away by the draw dropping in Lake Wanaka scenery surrounding Rippon Vineyard in the Central Otago wine district.

Dedication to Preservation for Future Generations
Many people talk about it yet the Mills family practice the daily ritual of tending to their winery to leave it to their next family generation better than what they found it. And that is truly inspiring. Nick Mills, the winemaker, was raised on the shores of Lake Wanaka at Rippon Vineyard, arguably one of the most beautiful locations for a Bio Dynamic Certified vineyard anywhere in the world. Certified with Demeter re He creates organic wines that follow biodynamic principles.

True Artisanal Winegrowers
100 plus years on the land, family owned and run, five generations, organic since inception, bio dynamic since 2003, these are the oldest vines in the region. Yes, the pioneers of Lake Wanaka, Central Otago. The Rippon winery produces about 20 cubic tonnes of compost yearly and also produce all their Bio Dynamic preparations and tend the land by hand. True Artisanal winegrowers and custodians of their piece of land.

We love Rippon Vineyards as they are fine wine first, but always without additions, 100% natural ferments, no adjustments to must, the Pinots are unfined and unfiltered and the Whites only see a light filtration.

And to top it off, Nick cruises around in one of these. I know you want one of these. Who wouldn’t right?

Winemaker Insights into 2020 Vintage
And we just had to include another video of the breathtaking Lake Wanaka as Nicks Mills speak about the 2020 vintage!

It is hard to believe yet it is true. From 2006-2021, Harewood Estate received the Five Red Star award from James Halliday – Australia’s most influential wine critic – for “wines of exemplary quality and typicity”. Harewood Estate has been awarded the elusive Five Red Stars for a “consistent record of excellence” since its introduction in 2006! More than anything else, these awards are a testament to the quality of wine grapes grown throughout the Great Southern region.

A Winery worth Driving For
Now I have your attention, let us encourage you to visit the Harewood Estate winery in Denmark – 400km south of Perth. As you can see below, it is characterised by steep hills and valleys, the rolling slopes of the vineyard, and the Southern Ocean. The long cool summer days and ‘mean’ gravelly soils that slowly ripen the grapes to produce wines of intense flavour.

Harewood also produce wine from the Frankland River, a region known for some of the best Shiraz in the country. The sunny and dry climate has been described as ‘Mediterranean’, and as a result the wines are hefty and complex. The river moderates this climate, funnelling cool and humid air north from the ocean to allow a slow ripening period for grapes.

Towards the Porungurup Ranges
Mount Barker is also featured in the Harewood range of wines, a region that is the birthplace of the Great Southern for European-style wine. This region features dry open grazing country, with gravelly soil that resembles that of Bordeaux, France. Finally, Porungurup, which is vastly different from Mount Barker, features towering Eucalypt forest and rounded granite knobs, allowing for sweeping views over the Porungurup Ranges. The vineyard produces crisp, cool climate wines.

Meet the Winemaker
It is a very relaxed vibe at Harewood Estate and wine maker James Kellie started making wine on contract for Harewood Estate, and in 2003, with his family, purchased Harewood Estate.

The winery has grown from the initial 300 tonnes Kellie’s family built, to now 500 tonnes, receiving 31 national and international Trophies, hundreds of medals, and the coveted 5 Star Rating from influential wine critic James Halliday, which is awarded to top 5% of Australian wineries for a ‘consistent record of excellence’ and ‘wines of exemplary quality and typicity’.

A Stellar list of Wine Awards
This diverse range of wine regions in the Great Southern, partially attributed to the different conditions of these vineyards, are of the highest quality and have received many points and awards. Some high scoring wines include:

• • 2020 Flux-II Pinot Gris – 95 pts – Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
  • 2020 Flux-V Pinot Noir – 94 pts – Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
  • 2020 Flux-VII White Blend – 95 pts Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
  • 2016 Flux-VIII Shiraz – 94 pts – Patrick Eckel
  • 2020 Harewood Denmark Pinot Noir – 93 pts – Angus Hughson, The Wine Pilot, 90 pts – Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
  • 2018 Harewood Great Southern Shiraz – 93 pts Angus Hughson – The Wine Pilot
  • 2017 Harewood Great Southern Cabernet-Merlot – 92 pts, Halliday Wine Companion
  • 2017 Harewood Reserve Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc – 94 pts James Hallliday

If you’re looking for a staycay in the gorgeous wine region of Pemberton in Western Australia, be sure to visit Silkwood Estate.

Unwind in a Forest Oasis
Silkwood Estate was established in 1998, with a core focus on finding the ideal climate and soil to produce quality wines. The vineyard is set amongst the magnificent Karri and Jarrah forests, for which Pemberton is famous. Featuring a prevailing temperature climate, gentle undulating landscape, and rich gravelly loam soils that overlay a clay base, this area was chosen to produce quality wine.

Stay in Luxury Accommodation
Nestled on a small lake you could be excused for thinking you’re in the wonderfully relaxing Karri bushlands. Yet in only a few minutes you can be enjoying wines from the Silkwood Estate cellar door and restaurant. Take a stroll to the pergola, sit on the lawn and enjoy the natural beauty surrounding Silkwood Estate . The 5 star chalets offer the perfect staycation when visiting the Pemberton wine region.

Relax Among The Vineyards
One of the most indelible memories you’ll have of your visit to Silkwood Estate, is enjoying being up close to the vinyards.  Relax outside and take in the magnificent views while sampling wines and food platters from our restaurant. A favourite location for weddings and events, Silkwood Estate can cater for up to 100 people sit down or cocktail style for 150-180 guests.

A History of Wine Awards
Silkwood Estate has had multiple notable reviews in recent times. Here is a perfect cheat sheet to read before heading into the Cellar Door for a wine tasting:

2019 Silkwood ‘The Bowers’ Chardonnay – 95 pts, Patrick Eckel
2019 Silkwood Estate The Bowman Chardonnay – 95 pts, Patrick Eckel, 92 pts Erin Larkin (Halliday Wine Companion)
2019 Silkwood Estate Malbec Pemberton The Walcott 2018 – 92 pts James Suckling, 91 pts Patrick Eckel
2018 Silkwood Estate The Walcott Shiraz – 94 pts, Erin Larkin (Halliday Wine Companion), 91 pts, Patrick Eckel
2018 Silkwood Estate The Walcott Chardonnay – 94 pts, Erin Larkin (Halliday Wine Companion), 92 pts, Angus Hughson (Wine Pilot)