Australia is the fourth biggest producer of wine in the world, with only around 40% being consumed locally, which explains why we can get such high quality, reasonably priced wine on our side of the world. Unfortunately, during the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the Australian wine industry was plagued by large conglomerates, mass producing low quality wines on an industrial scale. While many of these brands were popular, serious wine drinkers looked down on them as sweet, over-ripe and unstructured wines, leading to a belief amongst consumers that this was what Aussie wine was like. Thankfully, over the last 10 years or so, a new wave of producers have come to the fore, producing more restrained, European style wines, with less alcoholic punch and without the huge blast of vanilla that comes with ageing in New Oak. We are pleased to offer our new lines of Australian wines, produced in this more elegant, refined style.

Hesketh Wines - The Hesketh Wine Company is a small, family owned producer. Each wine is either made from a single vineyard or sourced from a small selection of specific vineyards in each region. Fruit comes from vineyards in Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley. Chief winemaker is Phil Lehman, son of legendary Barossa pioneer, Peter Lehman. The wines are produced with an aim of being balanced and complex, but Phil emphasises the importance of 'drinkability'; easy-drinking wines with generous flavours and aromatics, but that still highlight their terroir and allow the profiles of the specific sites to shine through in the best possible way.
 
St John’s Road - Martin and Vivienne Rawlinson started St John’s Road in 2001, with a vision to produce rich, texture, full-bodied wines, with elegance and a sense of place that truly represented the terroir of the Barossa Valley. St John’s Road is now under the control of Phil Lehmann (Chief Winemaker) and Jonathon Hesketh, along with a few other Barossa wine growing families.
Phil Lehman has worked as winemaker for Yalumba, Peter Lehmann Wines and Teusner Wines, so it is safe to say, he knows how to make a good bottle of wine. Phil joined St John's Road as our Senior Winemaker in 2013.
 
Parker Coonawarra Estate - John and Faye Parker established Parker Coonawarra Estate in 1985 after a career-long interest in the region. The Hesketh family assumed custodianship of Parker Coonawarra Estate in March 2013. With over fifty years’ experience in the wine industry, their philosophy is to retain John Parker’s vision for the Estate, focusing on the core elements that make Parker Estate superior. Again, Phil Lehman is Senior Winemaker, under the leadership of The Hesketh family. The two main wines from this estate are The First Growth and Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignons. First Growth is only produced when the growing season produces exceptional fruit quality, and when a particular vintage is deemed to have ageing potential beyond 15 years. The 2016 Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon showcases all the hallmarks of an optimal growing season: rich, ripe and generous. A portion of the wine spent a prolonged time on skins (thirty days) to ensure extended aging potential.
 
Vickery Wines - John Vickery is the acknowledged old master of Riesling in Australia, with an illustrious career spanning over fifty years, culminating in the extraordinary awards tally of more than fifty Trophies and over four hundred Gold Medals.
The Rieslings he crafted from Watervale (in the Clare Valley) and Eden Valley (in the Barossa) stand tall as the epitome of this most majestic grape variety, each with a unique South Australian and sub-regional thumbprint. Vickery wines are made in collaboration with talented winemaker and family friend Philip Lehmann, so that John's winemaking methods and knowledge will be preserved and passed on for generations to come, for the benefit of all lovers of classic Australian Riesling.