Having located the right piece of terroir, skilled vineyard management is then paramount, there can be no denying that 90% of the quality of any wine is made in the vineyard. Quite simply, great grapes make great wine. In order to achieve the desired flavour profiles of each grape variety, yields are kept low, irrigation is minimal and vineyards are managed in an environmentally sustainable manner with minimum use of chemicals. Uncompromising dedication to this philosophy means that Journeys End Vineyards can consistently offer wine lovers maximum flavour for their dollar.

Journeys End winemaker, Ben Riggs likes to run a number of different types of ferments, which also gives him additional blending options. In the winemaking process, there are no fixed rules as to the amount of new or old oak that is used. French, American, Russian or other. Each season demands a different proportion of new and old oak and different degrees of charring or even hot water bending of the staves. Consequently, a variety of top quality barrels are selected to enhance the fruit of each wine and add further layers of complexity.

Journeys End wines are made to improve with bottle age, not just to keep. The maturation period will depend on the wine style chosen, and the cellaring condition that the wines are kept under. The suggested cellaring time always errs on the side of caution, and it is recommended that wines are drunk whilst the fruit is still alive, rather than wait for a long period only to find that the tertiary flavours have overshadowed the fruit and that the distinctive qualities of terroir are difficult to distinguish.

A graduate of Roseworthy (in 1985), Journeys End winemaker Ben Riggs has made a major contribution to regional wine industry activities having served ten years as a board member of McLaren Vale Winemakers Inc. Three of those years saw Ben in the role of Chairman. He also chaired the McLaren Vale Wine Show over a five-year period. As a winemaker, Ben achieved Bushing King status in 2000. This unique award recognises the maker of the best wine at the McLaren Vale Wine Show.

Wines made by Ben have achieved considerable Wine Show Awards success including winning the first two Great Australian Shiraz Challenges. More than 20 trophies have been won and in 1993, Wirra Wirra 1991 Angelus was declared the winner of the Sydney International Top 100 wine awards. Ben has had 21 years of winemaking experience, with the last 14 years being at Wirra Wirra where he made such great wines as RSW Shiraz and Angelus, which are without doubt Australian benchmark wines.

In 2004, the Castelli dream of a family owned winery became a reality when, upon the slopes of Mt Shadforth, the Castelli Estate property was purchased, a 120 acre farm which overlooks Wilson's Inlet, Mt. Lindesay and the lush countryside around Denmark. The property was acquired with a semi-complete winery which, with the family's extensive construction and engineering experience, was later completed in 2006. Tudor architecture and heavy masonry walls, grand arches and an extravagant underground barrel room, give the Castelli wineworks beauty to match its functionality.

Using a combination of traditional techniques gained from extensive overseas experience, with the benefits of a state-of-the-art facility, the winemaking team are able to tailor a specific approach best suiting each individual wine. All wines are treated in their own special way to express the variety, vintage conditions and region.

Through the dedicated winemaking team's extensive experience, the sourcing of the state's best fruit and the family's passion and commitment to quality, Castelli Estate's wines hold the promise of something special. With their name on every bottle, Castelli can share with you their passion for wines that are made with a relentless commitment to quality.

Careful attention to detail is ensured to capture the maximum varietal and regional characters. Above everything, special emphasis is placed on achieving elegance and balance. The equilibrium of fruit flavour, structure, length and finish are the hallmarks of all Castelli wines. Much of this comes from the vineyard, with careful site selection, fastidious viticultural practices and picking at optimal flavour ripeness. Once the fruit is in the winery however, that same attention to detail is also essential. Castelli concentrate on achieving symmetry in each wine. For white wines the interaction of fruit intensity, acid profile, phenolic extraction and oak (if used) are carefully assessed. Likewise in the reds, there is a delicate balance between tannin structure, fruit definition, alcohol level and oak integration. A capacity of 500 tonnes and the industry's most advanced winemaking equipment culminate to make Castelli Estate a world class winemaking facility. The philosophy has has always been focused towards small batch processing to ensure that every parcel of fruit receives the care and attention it deserves.

Essentially, the philosophy is to produce wines that everyone enjoy enjoys drinking, not specifically to win awards, nor praise from wine writers (although this does tend to be a happy coincidence) but rather something that's worthy of the Castelli name on the bottle.

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.

In 1870, Richard and his son Varley proudly produced their first vintage. It was gold of a very different hue, but gold nevertheless, and the birth of an Australian legend! The Bailey property remained a winemaking success from then on: with the winemaking mantle passed on from father to son through the generations. During that time, the region was terrorised by the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly, who was finally captured in 1880 at Glenrowan - just a short gallop from Baileys.

Far more terrifying than Ned though, was the outbreak in 1890’s of Phylloxera. Whilst only tiny, the parasitic pest Phylloxera devastated Victoria’s early wine industry. Many vineyards were ordered to destroy their vines, and many heartbroken winemakers simply walked off their ravaged land, never to return. But once the Phylloxera scourge had passed, the Baileys family replanted in 1904 on Phylloxera resistant root-stock -- and soon the family’s famous red wine flowed again.

The Baileys of Glenrowan Shiraz, full of flavour, quickly built a reputation and a loyal following. Further plantings of Shiraz, Muscat and Tokay took place in the 1920's. Recent improvements to the Baileys of Glenrowan site have ensured the success of the winery for generations to come. Plantings throughout the 1950’s to the 1990’s have seen the vineyards increase to 143 hectares, with an annual crush of 1600 -1800 tonnes.

The historic Glenrowan wine region is renowned for its luscious fortified wines and rich red wine styles, a product of the area's deep, red granite soils. The region is bordered by the Ovens River to the north and the Hume Freeway to the south. Most cellar doors and vineyards in the region are located close to the historic township of Glenrowan, on land that lies between the Warby Ranges and Lake Mokoan. The region's oldest vineyard is Baileys of Glenrowan. Tradition is important at Baileys, with many heritage buildings and historic artefacts on display - providing a real glimpse into Australia's colourful rural past. Apart from its intensely flavoured wines, the Glenrowan area also produces a range of stone fruit - such as juicy nectarines, peaches and cherries - plus deliciously sweet strawberries.

New, state-of-the art winemaking equipment was built at Baileys in 1998. At the same time, the 100 year-old basket press was restored to ensure that the tradition lives on in all of Bailey's wines. The restoration and upgrade of the winery cellar door in 2000 completed the recent improvements and enabled the sharing of heritage and the full Baileys experience with the winery's visitors.