Inspired by its potential to produce superior quality grapes, John and Catherine Thomson planted their  vineyard in  1975 at Crawford River, in south west Victoria. It was then a relatively unexplored wine growing region.

The cool southerly latitude together with the maritime environment, complex soil structure and favourable micro-climate create a terroir which has justified that initial vision.

Presiding over gently undulating grazing lands with sprawling forests in the distance, Crawford River has paved the way for the industry in what is traditionally a wool, beef and dairy region.  The winery atop the hill and the vineyard hugging the slope nestle  in the midst of a large sheep and cattle station that John’s great-grandfather  settled in 1884.

After several years completing her studies and working in vineyards and wineries around the globe, daughter Belinda Thomson has returned home to become an integral part of the Crawford River team.

Lying at the alluvial edge of a volcanic lava flow, the 11.5 Ha vineyards has its roots in an unusually complex, mineral-rich soil base. Gravelly, friable, basalt loam overlays permeable clay which lies above limestone created by an ancient, risen seabed.

Rainfall is generally reliable, with much of the 650mm average falling in Winter and Spring . At Latitude 38° South and 110 metres above sea-level, temperatures are cool. Situated approximately 50 kilometres inland from the Southern Ocean, the vineyard enjoys its moderating maritime influence whilst managing to escape most of the Autumn sea mists.

The combination of these factors produces a long and even growing season helping to produce grapes with intense fruit flavours and high natural acidity.  Whilst our dry grown vineyard enjoys low yields, some years require careful manipulation of bunch numbers, ensuring the highest possible fruit quality. Budburst is usually mid-September with picking from mid April to mid May.

Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon are the two main varieties in the vineyard, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

All our wines are crafted entirely from fruit grown at our Crawford River vineyard, vinified and bottled on site. The hand-picked grapes are brought in to the winery in small batches where meticulous attention is paid to detail.

Patience and time are of the essence in our winery. We believe minimal interference and movement during vinification, preferring the fruit to naturally express our special terroir. It is our belief this approach influences the pure, elegant quality of our end product.

Our white wines are cool-fermented to dryness exclusively in stainless steel tanks. We ferment our dessert wine to comparably low sugar levels in order to find an ideal balance between sugar, acid and alcohol so the purity of the style is expressed with a clean, crisp finish.

Our red wines are fermented in small, open fermenters and hand plunged. Small parcels are given extended maceration and a further portion barrel fermented to assist our endeavour to craft wines with finesse, multi-layered flavours and complexity. Individual blocks and treatments are kept separate throughout their maturation of 12 - 24 months in a varitey of French Oak. Malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally in the Spring.