Twenty five years is a long time to be in the same profession but ask Kym Tolley what he would do if he was not a winemaker and the answer is simple. "I've not been able to think of anything else I'd prefer to do," he said. "Winemaking satisfies all my creative urges along with my need for discipline. To me, it's simply fantastic to be able to make a life out of being creative."

Directly related to two of Australia's pioneer wine families, the Penfolds and the Tolleys, Kym continues to mix the best of traditional and modern winemaking methods at Penley Estate. Born in 1953, Kym Tolley was educated at St Peters' College Adelaide. He completed his diploma in wine production at Roseworthy College in 1977.

He remained with the company until 1988 when he left to establish Penley Estate. For Kym, Penley Estate is a dream come true. His vision was to develop a solid business which would allow perpetuity and future growth for his family, while providing the opportunity for him to continue to create interesting and quality wines.

Father to Hannah, Lachlan and Madeline, Kym often quotes an historic quote of Australian wine writer James Busby who in 1830 said: "A man who could sit under the shade of his own vine with his wife and his children about him and the ripe clusters hanging within their reach in such a climate as this and not feel the highest enjoyment, is incapable of happiness"

Throughout the years that Penley Estate has been producing premium quality wines, the winery has enjoyed an extremely successful wine show and review record. Penley's Trophy record alone, if averaged out over the years averages out at approximately 4 per annum, an impressive feat.

Here at Banrock Station the perfect environment has been created for some of the worlds classic grape varieties. Flavoursome, easy drinking wines of true fruit character appeal to palates the world over. Every one of them comes with the added satisfaction of assisting the winemaking team to help the earth.

If you love fine wine, you’ll appreciate Banrock Station’s commitment to the good earth it comes from. Flavoursome Australian wines are enjoyed worldwide, and wherever you find Banrock Station, you’ll also find a winemaking team supporting conservation efforts that will help everyone enjoy the gifts of nature for generations to come.

Raise a glass of Banrock Station wine, knowing that part proceeds of every drop are donated to environmental projects around the globe. Explore the world of Banrock Station, a piece of nature within South Australia where the story began, the superlative wines, and globally co-ordinated conservation projects.

For more than a decade, Banrock Station wines have been dedicated to the welfare of our environment. After all, we are all reliant on the health of nature to create quality wines. Banrock Station are proud to be a world leader in conservation, with commitment of many millions of dollars to date worldwide. The ever-growing popularity of Banrock Station means the contributions increase every year. Think of the projects you help donate towards, every time you raise a glass of Banrock Station.

The Banrock Station style is full-flavoured, easy drinking wines of true fruit character. The world’s classic grape varieties have been planted, and they flourish in the healthy environment created under the Australian sun. The entire range of red, white and sparkling wines appeals to palates the world over. Good vineyard management ensures excellence in both flavour and environmental care. A unique pairing of the good earth, and fine Australian wine, Banrock Station is the home to the wine world's classic grape varieties of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Semillon. The warm climate is ideal for producing easy drinking, rich and full flavoured Australian wines. The 600 acres of vineyards which sit among 3600 acres of natural bushland, is a vital link between the surrounding native vegetation and wetlands.

The new Garden Gully was the brainchild of Sarah and Tom Guthrie, who over a period of months found another four investors to share their vision. Tom and Sarah Guthrie established their 8 acre Grampians Estate vineyard in 1989 on the slopes of the Grampians. The premium wines now being produced and the recognition they have received in wine shows, have given Sarah and Tom the confidence to expand their business and invest in Garden Gully.

Paul Dalkins lives at Great Western where he has his own young vineyard. Paul has worked on vineyards throughout south eastern Australia and New Zealand, and loves working in viticulture in the Grampians. Bruce and Robyn Dalkin own the 35-year-old Westgate Vineyard only a few kilometres up the valley from Garden Gully. When the Dalkins were invited to join the new Garden Gully team, they saw it as an opportunity to provide a cellar door outlet to sell the Westgate Label and also to invest in a piece of the regions history and advance the Garden Gully label which has had years of recognition.

Helen and Bill Francis, together with family members, Lindsay, James and Katharine Mullins, were inspired by the new vision for Garden Gully, having lived for 28 years in Charles Pierlot’s old home overlooking the Salinger vineyards. They produce olive oil from their own olive grove, Great Western Olives. Kate and Mick Connellan are relative newcomers to the Grampians region arriving in Ararat 12 years ago, originally planning to stay just three or four months! Their interest in good food and wine has been nurtured by the Ararat Wine and Food Society, of which Mick has served terms as foodmaster and president. They see Garden Gully as an opportunity to become actively involved in enhancing the region which they have come to love and enjoy.

The Garden Gully Vineyard is steeped in local wine history and its 50 year old vines bear testament to its place in local wine lore. From its early days as the Hockheim Winery established in the 1870s, through its days as a Seppelt vineyard and finally to its current incarnation as Garden Gully, Grampians Wine and Produce, it has always been recognised as a purveyor of fine wines. As Len Evans put it in his ‘Complete Book of Australian Wine’, published in 1990, “Garden Gully is one of the newest wineries in the Great Western region of Victoria, it is, at the same time, part of one of the oldest.”

Salingers operated the vineyard until 1945, when it was sold to Seppelt. The old winery crumbled, but original underground tanks remain. These old tanks, made of cement and bricks are still used today as water storage. In 1984 Seppelt began a rationalisation of their operations at Great Western, which meant a greater commitment to the sparkling white varieties and Seppelt found themselves with some f ine vineyards bearing such varieties as shiraz and Rhine Riesling which they simply didn’t need any more. A group saw the opportunity to broaden their horizons and set up a company called Garden Gully Great Western Vineyards Pty Ltd to buy the vineyards and to make wine.

Each block on each vineyard is picked and vinified separately, allowing us maximum flexibility just before bottling to identify the best performing blocks and vineyards to be able to release single vineyard wines or to select the best blends. Ten Minutes By Tractor have a non-interventionist approach to winemaking, adopting traditional winemaking techniques that help to enhance the wonderful flavours, complexity, elegance and length of palate for which their wines have become renowned.

All wines (except for the tank fermented Sauvignon Blanc) are fermented by using the indigenous or wild yeasts that reside in the vineyard, on the skins of grapes and the winery. Pinot Noir is aged for 12 to 18 months in French oak barriques and lightly fined. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc are also fermented in French oak barrels. All wines are bottled under screwcap to prevent cork taint, random oxidation and to preserve the pristine characters of the wines.

Blending decisions are made just prior to bottling, at which time the blends and single vineyard releases are chosen. The craft of winemaking is a process of continual learning and discovery. Ten Minutes By Tractor strive for continual improvement on all that they do. The team are passionate about the challenge of understanding everything that contributes to the quality of wines.