In 1943 Frank’s son Francis d’Arenberg Osborn, universally known as d’Arry, returned from school, age 16, to help his ill father run the business, eventually assuming full management in 1957. In 1959 d’Arry decided to launch his own label d’Arenberg, named in honour of his mother, Frances Helena d’Arenberg.

It was a small and humble start but the wines gained immediate cult status amongst imbibers and judges. The 1968 Cabernet Sauvignon won the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the 1969 Royal Melbourne Wine Show and the 1967 Red Burgundy (Grenache based) was awarded 7 trophies and 29 gold medals in Australian capital city wine shows. By the 1970’s d’Arenberg wines had become very fashionable, having gained a significant national and international profile in less than 20 years.

Enter the fourth generation, d’Arry’s son Chester d’Arenberg Osborn. From a very early age Chester was focused on continuing his family’s winemaking tradition. While growing up on the family property he helped his father d’Arry in both the vineyards and the cellar floor during school semester breaks and Christmas holidays. After graduating from Roseworthy College and touring other Australian and European wine regions, Chester took over the reins as Chief Winemaker in 1984. He immediately set about returning the family’s vineyards to their traditional grape growing practices of minimal inputs and no fertilisation, cultivation and irrigation wherever possible, therefore achieving natural soil flavours with very low yields.

dArenberg is one of the last remaining wineries to basket press their wines. This gentle method of squeezing juice from the grape skins protects the delicate white grapes and is gentle in the process of extracting the flavour, colour and tannins from the reds. The winemaking processes of the past have been maintained, capturing the unique small-batch character of the wines and the true flavour of the McLaren Vale region. Parcels of fruit are kept separate from the time of harvesting, through fermentation, pressing and maturation. When it comes to the blending stage, the winemakers have a wealth of different components with which to create a given wine.

d’Arenberg’s art of being different extends to a range of fortified and dessert wines which hold legendary status worldwide, as well as operating d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant, one of South Australia’s most loved and highly awarded restaurant, set on a picturesque hilltop adjoining the cellar door tasting room. The reds are still traditionally fermented with the grape skins (caps) submerged in open wax-lined concrete fermenters utilising the age-old technique of foot-treading. Chief Winemaker and Viticulturist Chester is also a bit of a dab hand at steel design - he designed and had built on site new steel fermenters to the exact specifications of the original concrete ones.

Knowing little about grapevines and nothing about wine production Ross and Robyn set about resurrecting the dilapidated vineyard. The old Shiraz vines were deep rooted and produced high quality fruit which was keenly sought after by well known wineries. In 1992 Ross and Robyn decided to extend the vineyard, new plantings of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were added to the existing block. 1993 saw a slump in fruit sales and this encouraged Ross and Robyn to process some of their crop themselves. The 1993 Shiraz was followed by a Cabernet, a Semillon and a Riesling and in early 1995 Connor Park Winery was born.

Today Connor Park crushes all of their own fruit together with a range of wines from selected vineyards and although the continuing drought has had some effect on the volume of production Connor Park continues to produce a diverse range of outstanding wines.

Connor Park is now a 165 hectare rural property, only 25 minutes from Bendigo and a comfortable 2 hour drive from Melbourne. Visitors are invited to enjoy the fine wines, peace and tranquility that can be found at Connor Park. The belief is that quality fruit produces quality wine so the vines are tended with the same consumate care and diligence as the annual wheat harvest.

Ross & Robyn Lougoon divide their time between growing premium dryland grapes and turning them into award winning wines and tending a flock of 1800 merino sheep which are running in dry and dusty paddocks, daily feeding is part of the winemaking estate's routine.

Connor Park is a diverse business, with the fruit being grown on the property, picked by hand and then crushed and fermented in the winery next to the sheep yards. If the grape harvest is late finishing or the Autumn break comes early it is not unusual to find Ross in the winery by day and on the tractor sowing the wheat crop by night. Connor Park crushes all of their own fruit together with fruit from a number of contract growers, their range has grown to include a number of new varieties including marsanne, durif, mourvedre. Sangiovese and Barbera. The wines are handcrafted with the emphasis being on the quality of the fruit being delivered from the vineyard. Never afraid to take a chance Ross has worked with these new varieties with astounding results with numerous medals including a number of gold and silver at shows around Australia.

Maglieri was crowned Bushing King on two occasions, also winning the Trophy for Australia’s Best Shiraz in the 1997 Great Australian Wine Challenge he became internationally acclaimed after winning the Trophy for the Best Shiraz and Red Wine of the Year at the London International Wine Challenge. The success continued with the 2002 Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon winning Australia’s Cabernet of the Year in the Winestate Wine of the Year awards. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded Best Cabernet Advertiser Top 100, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon winning the Bushing King Trophy and 2007 Cabernet again voted Best Cabernet in the Advertiser Top 100. Today the Serafino vineyards have expanded to 300 acres of prime McLaren Vale land and a new state of the art winery, purpose built for small batch production.

The modern Serafino estate and wineworks are set in the picturesque grounds of a resort complex which now boasts a newly refurbished restaurant overlooking Lake McLaren. Considered one of the most beautiful wine regions in Australia, McLaren Vale has gained an international reputation for producing wines with intense flavours and distinctive characters.

Nestled between the sea and the hills, enjoying a Mediterranean climate, the growing seasons of serafino's vineyards can be compared to parts of southern Europe. The moderate weather and pristine environment contribute to the production of the outstanding Serafino wines which express the unique qualities of the region.

Serafino can rely on his dedicated growers and skilled winemaking team to create McLaren Vale's most generously flavoured wines. The quality of fruit is paramount and Serafino's vineyards are idyllically positioned on the region's best soils. The highest standards of viticulture and sustainabale land management practices are crucial to the quality of wines.

Serafino's multitude of awards and accolades would not be possible without a fabulous team whose dedication, work ethic and attention to detail ensures success. The inspirational team includes cellar staff, vineyard managers, the highly skilled and passionate growers of McLaren Vale and a meticulous army of fruit pickers. Serafino's vineyards have expanded to three hundred acres of prime McLaren Vale viticultural assets, fruit is vinified in a state of the art winery, purpose built for small batch production. The best grapes are set aside after harvest and treated to a crush and cold soak, inoculated to choice strains of yeast and vinified with a view to creating intense wines which are treated to maturation in the finest French and American oak barrels.

Originally there were four pioneers J.H. (Joseph) Knappstein a merchant, Dr O. Wein-Smith a medical practitioner, soliciter Magnus Badger, and John Cristion, who was a brewer of note. Alfred Basedow was employed as General Manager and Winemaker, having learned his craft in Europe. The name Stanley was chosen to identify the company with the local electoral district of Stanley.

The first vintage, in 1895, was a mere 11,356 litres. In 1896 cellars were constructed and each year improvements were made until 1903 when the vintage yielded 378,540 litres of wine. This represented the crush of most of the grapes grown in the Clare Valley district. By 1912, Joseph Knappstein, one of the most enterprising men of his time in South Australia, had bought out the interests of the other three founders and gained control of the company. Since that time the Knappstein family has been associated with the activities of the company.

In 1971 the H.J. Heinz Corporation, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, purchased a controlling interest. The Knappstein family retained key positions in the company and held shares until 1976. In 1984 the Heinz company purchased the Buronga winery in Mildura, New South Wales. The production of Stanley wine casks was transferred from the Leasingham Clare Valley winery to Buronga, which is closer to the supply of fruit for cask wines. The Leasingham operation was then free to concentrate on the production of premium wines.

The Leasingham wineworks was acquired by The Hardy Wine Company in January 1988, when a major upgrade of vineyards, winery, tourism and promotional facilities was begun. Subsequently that year, the Clarevale Co-operative was integrated giving access to further premium fruit. Today the name Leasingham is reserved for premium wines only - the Stanley name continues on a range of wine casks produced at the Buronga winery.

The Clare Valley has gained a reputation for producing some of Australia's finest premium wines, in particular Riesling and Shiraz. The region's early reputation was based around the production of Australia's finest Rieslings, but in more recent times the reds have excelled. The contemporary Australian palate for reds is perfectly suited to the region's growing conditions, which translates into big rich generous styles that are so much in demand.