VINEYARD

Minimal irrigation, hand pruning, hand-picking and summer pruning to remove any imperfect or unripe bunches results in a yield of only about 1.5 tonnes per acre. This ensures that only the finest grapes actually make it into the bottle. Picking usually occurs in early to mid April allowing for a long ripening period in which the grapes develop a lovely concentration of flavours and thick skins giving the wine its deep, rich colour.

Amherst Winery has 10 acres under vine consisting 60% shiraz, 30% cabernet and 10% chardonnay grapes. The vineyard is on old alluvial gold fields dating back to the 1850s, and diggings can still be seen around the property in the quartz rich soil.

Our premium wines "Dunn's Paddock" Shiraz and "Chinese Gardens" Cabernet Sauvignon pay tribute to the rich history on which our vineyard is sited. Samuel Dunn was an escaped convict turned good, who cultivated the land in the early 1850s, and Chinese Garden is where a Chinese market gardener provided food to the flourishing goldfields of yesteryear.

For the history behind our labels, click here.