The winery started in 1993 with modest ambitions and initial plantings of five acres of Pinot Noir at the original little vineyard at Gibbston, Central Otago in the deep south of New Zealand. At the same time, winery friend Roger Donaldson planted the land next door, hence the name Two Paddocks. (Roger’s paddock proved to be a slow starter. His brand Sleeping Dogs, takes its name from the first film he and Two Paddocks winemaker Sam Neill made together.)

Sam wanted to produce a good Pinot Noir that would, at the very least, be enjoyed by family and friends. Admittedly, Sam's friends will pretty much drink anything, so this didn't seem too hard. The first vintage in 1997 was much better than hoped, in spite of a difficult growing season. 1998 was a more distinguished vintage, and in 1999 a world class Pinot was produced. Here was a wine of considerable complexity with an amazing nose, delicious fruit and a good lengthy finish.

Since that time with each successive vintage, Two Paddocks have produced a Pinot Noir that has done the winemakers proud and is to be frank, too good to be wasted on the close circle of friends. While Sam Neill and friends' generous thirst accounts for the occasional scarcity of Two Paddocks Pinot, the ambition has become to produce year after year, the world’s best Pinot Noir

Two Paddocks original vineyard has now been augmented by two other small, superbly sited vineyards in the Alexandra district. Alex Paddocks is a 7-acre vineyard on a very beautiful terrace above the Earnscleugh Valley, and sits under some very striking rocky headlands. Planted with Burgundian Pinot vines (5, 6, 115) in 1998, the Two Paddocks Last Chance Pinot Noir is from this single vineyard (first vintage 2002). The Last Chance name comes from an old gold miners watercourse that runs through the yard, dating from the 1860s.

In 2000 Redbank was aquired, a lovely-sheltered sixty acres also in the Earnscleugh Valley, which nestles between two dramatic rocky escarpments. More Burgundian clones have been planted here. As a departure, some Riesling here, and we grow medicinal and culinary herbs as well. We inherited a still at Redbank, which we use to distill a brilliant essential oil from the English and French lavenders we grow on the property.

Murdoch Hill make wines which show a sense of place, something quite similar to that which is well embedded within the European wine culture. This requires moving in a more minimalistic winemaking approach, utilising wild yeasts, gentle extraction techniques, reducing additions to show the purity of fruit, overall to make delicious drinkable wine styles. Murdoch Hill burst onto the scene with an adventurous series of small batch Artisan wines, working with fruit from exceptional parcels across the Adelaide Hills. While the Artisan series continue to showcase an exceptional quality of fruit and highly progressive techniques, the estate team have never lost sight of an exciting journey as they transition from making wine to growing grapes. Ultimately it will come to define the excellence of all things Murdoch Hill.

The estate Oakbank property was planted in 1998. The first priority was to address health of the soil and to bring the handling of fruit to estate premises. With a mere twenty hectares under vine, and 300 head of cattle to manage, the process has taken time.

The improvements have never ceased at Murdoch Hill but they are not trying to reinvent the wheel. There is a steady program of incremental adjustments to better coax the inherent natural beauty and purity of estate grown fruit from the soil to the glass.

Underpinning the dramatic rise in quality of the home block wines is the policy to cease the use of synthetic inputs for control of weeds, pests and disease. Much work is carried out under vine cultivation, organic sprays and cover crops to regenerate the soil. The proof is in the pudding. Every year is an outstanding vintage. Murdoch Hill are characterised by their beautiful depth of fruit allied, incredible fragrance and chaste purity. Such delicious merits shine loud and clear in the chiselled Chardonnays and lacy, fragrant Pinot Noir. It’s really just about taking the best possible fruit from Murdoch Hill vineyard, capturing it and putting it in the bottle. Not taking too much out of the wine or putting anything into it.

Premium sites within the original vineyard have been selected to create wines which emphasise their regional characteristics. The grapes are vinified under the direction of experienced winemaker Ely Jarvis (ex Cape Mentelle) who is crafting a unique signature to make Fonty’s Pool one of Western Australia’s most distinctive wineries. Known as a local landmark, the name Fonty’s Pool comes from an early settler to the region. In 1907 Archie Fontanini began farming on the property where the 110 hectares of vines are now laid. He built an irrigation dam which was affectionately called Fonty’s Pool’ and became a place where locals and tourists alike would come to swim.

The Pemberton winegrowing region is richly timbered, and was first planted experimentally to wine grapes in 1977. Since then Pemberton has continued to grow and has become widely acclaimed for its spectacular wines and beautiful scenery. Some 85 percent of the Pemberton region remains under native vegetation with magnificent marri forests in the northern half, moving to karri in the south.

The Pemberton Wine Region contains some of the oldest soils in the world. The best soils are the red gravely loams over clay, which are associated with the jarrah/ marri landscape. These soils are the same as the finest in Margaret River with the main difference being in Pemberton they account for about 70% of the area and are uniform throughout. Due to the topography, the soils are very well drained.

Pemberton is the coolest wine region in Western Australia. Principally due to its elevation above sea level and its close proximity to the confluence of the Great Southern and Indian Oceans. The coolness of Pemberton can be seen in the temperature statistics of winter chill hours and mean January, summer temperatures. This cooler climate confers the dual benefits of true vine dormancy and a long ripening period. In general this region harvests equivalent varieties about 2-3 weeks later than Margaret River.

During the summer and autumn Pemberton receives less rain and cloud than the coastal wine regions of Western Australia. This quality factor is important in disease management and the longer ripening period for the later Bordeaux varieties, for which Pemberton is renowned. Pemberton has been fortunate in getting the benefit from the improved technology of modern viticulture practices gleaned from the experience of the older premium wine regions.

You can travel down Barkly Street Rutherglen and not even notice the tiny little winery housed in a collection of corrugated iron sheds, yet Chambers Rosewood is internationally acclaimed. Afficianados of Australian fortifieds could easily be forgiven for not realising that some of the world’s finest Muscat are produced here. This small, family operation was established by William Chambers in 1858 and has operated as a winery continuously ever since long enough for the sixth generation of Chambers to make wine here. The ancient rare cuvees date back to soleras from 1890, the non-irrigated vines, many of which are over eighty years old, produce low yields with wonderful concentrated flavours.

Much of the family documentation and historical information has been pieced together by Wendy Chambers. She was very pleased to uncover details pertaining to a pivotal character in the Chambers story. It now seems that the young Prussian man who lived on an adjoining property and shared his wine making experience with the first generation Chambers family, did not disappear without a trace. Anton Ruch has been acknowledged over the years for his contribution to the Chambers Rosewood story, a history rich in fascinating characters such as the third generation Chambers who was responsible for many early innovations laying the foundation for future generations.

Today, Chambers Rosewood may not be a flash place but it is undeniably memorable! You will also find homemade jams, pickles and the Tavenders range of gourmet dressings as well as Lyric Olive Oil - even wine infused chocolate at the rustic cellar door. A commitment to providing good wine, reasonable prices and excellent service is right in tune with modern styles. The Chambers family and staff thank those who appreciate their wines, for valuing their efforts and for rewarding merit with loyalty.

Delta Air Line’s globe-trotting customers can now enjoy the labours of the Chambers family who have been producing wine at their rustic Chambers Rosewood cellars in Rutherglen for the past 150 years. Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson selected just eight wines from more than 900 wines tasted and assessed to meet Delta's strict criteria for outstanding flavour, brand recognition, diversity and destination connection. Stephen Chambers believes this exposure to passengers enroute to more than 300 destinations, across 50 countries, proves that Rutherglen makes world-class wines.