Central Otago is New Zealand's only wine region with a continental climate rather than a maritime one. This brings the risk of frosts but has the benefit of low rainfall and high sunshine hours. Of the five distinct macroclimates so far identified in Central Otago, Bannockburn, with its gentle north facing slopes and deep loess soils seems well suited to the production of complex Pinot Noir.

The first vineyard, Elms, was selected by Stewart Elms in 1991 and planted the following year. It is a north-facing gentle valley, one of the few in Bannockburn to escape the attentions of the gold miners who sluiced many of the Bannockburn slopes. Careful attention was given to the matching of vine varieties and rootstocks to the soil variations that are found on the site. Natural gullies have been retained which guide cold frosty air through the vineyard away from the vines.

In addition Felton Road have an eight-hectare vineyard at Cornish Point in Bannockburn, dedicated entirely to Pinot Noir. Here there are 18 different combinations of variety and rootstock, each carefully matched to the soil profiles. The vineyard is designed to allow separate vinification of each section: a veritable laboratory of Pinot Noir and its possibilities. Felton Road also have a long term lease on the neighbouring Calvert Vineyard, which is entirely devoted to Pinot Noir.

Viticulture makes extensive use of handwork and is heavily influenced by organic practice. The canopies use the Vertical Shoot Position trellis system with all pruning, positioning, shoot thinning, leaf plucking and fruit thinning performed carefully by hand. The use of natural manure obtained from organic sources aids our the gentle touch that the Felton Road winamakers apply to their vines. Harvesting is by hand starting around the beginning of April and each block is harvested and vinified separately.

When making Pinot Noir, fruit passes by gravity to fermenters to prevent pumping of must. Fruit is not crushed, so it ferments as whole berries while the use of a percentage of whole bunches adds complexity and structure. Using wild yeasts for fermentation is an important part of natural wine making philosophy, with wines being rested outdoors in small fermenters for extended maceration with up to four punch downs per day, before being run by gravity to barrel. All barrels are Burgundian coopered, 3 year air dried (typically 30% new oak each vintage) and selected for their slow extraction and subtlety of flavour. Natural malo-lactic fermentation follows in the spring with wines being normally bottled after about a year in oak. Racking, fining and filtering of the wine is avoided wherever possible. White wines are all hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. Chardonnay for barrel fermentation passes by gravity straight to the barrel from the press to await a wild yeast ferment. Again a natural malo-lactic follows in the spring.

Significant resources have been devoted to developing Yabby Lake's vineyard to the highest possible standard. Regional and national experts were consulted on every aspect of the vineyard's establishment from soil mapping to climate analysis to vine layout. Careful selection of plant clones has meant that the winemakers at Yabby Lake Vineyard now have a diversity of grapes to work with. Yabby Lake Vineyard is owned by the Kirby family and they are supported by a remarkable team who are equally passionate about the vineyard, the grapes, and their long-term goal of producing the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Australia.

The stunning Mornington Peninsula is a patchwork of small premium wineries and vineyards. Located 60 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, the region is virtually surrounded by sea and enjoys a cool maritime climate. Established in 1998, Yabby Lake Vineyard is planted on one of the regions premier vineyard sites.

Inspired by the classic wines of Burgundy, Yabby Lake Vineyard wines are a tribute to the unique Mornington Peninsula terroir, and the skills and experience of winemakers Larry McKenna and Tod Dexter. Their collaborative approach to winemaking, combined with Yabby Lake Vineyard's long-term commitment to producing the finest of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, have resulted in the creation of two remarkable wines.

The combination of a warm site in a cool region means the Yabby Lake Vineyard grapes ripen early to produce wines of outstanding quality.

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.

Situated among some of the region’s most picturesque vineyard country, Longview crafts a distinguished line-up of wines from each finely tuned piece of their vineyard. In addition to the region’s proven affinity for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Longview’s southerly location is leading the charge of highly regarded Adelaide Hills Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing international critical acclaim along with a swag of awards.

The first 100 acres of vineyard was planted in 1995. The Longview property now comprises 200 acres of vineyard as well as 500 acres of cattle property. The meandering tree-lined drive leads past thoroughbred horses and picturesque lakes up to the cellar door and an expansive function area which provides a wonderful venue. Discoveries are everywhere on the vineyard, hidden objects of art and rustic charm abound. Look around and you’ll see native gums growing amongst the vines, providing a view rarely seen in Australia. And keep an eye out for the famous blue cow!

Longview will continue to produce wines the way nature intended, as an expresssion of the season in which they are cast. Wines that will attract attention and spark conversation in any vertical line-up. The quality of fruit from the vineyard will continue to make Longview one of the most exciting Adelaide Hills labels. To maintain the natural beauty of the existing land, Longview Vineyard uses ecologically sustainable techniques.

Longview Vineyard Cellar Door is an idyllic venue, just 40 minutes from the heart of Adelaide, situated on the verandah of the property's original cottage. With the original dairy next door, it's spacious outdoor decking is the perfect spot to enjoy the picturesque outlook over Longview Vineyard. Enjoy the true taste of the Adelaide Hills by experiencing Longview's award-winning wines and gourmet produce from the local area.

The predominantly northeast facing slopes and valleys, combined with the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills and the very best winemaking practices, have produced outstanding vintages. Varieties grown on the property are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier, Semillon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Zinfandel, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Longview is one of the most highly awarded wines from the Adelaide Hills and who can argue when we can count Huon Hooke, James Halliday, Jancis Robinson and Max Allen as fans of the lovely Longview wines. The 2004 Longview Devils Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon took out Top Gold and three Trophies at the 2005 Adelaide Hills Wine Show, Best Cabernet Sauvignon of Show, Best Red Wine of Show and Best Wine of Show! In addition to this Longview won 6 other medals making it the most highly awarded of all 74 entrants. With over ten gold medals and numerous reviews for the other varieites a visit to the cellar door to try the whole range is a must.