Our History

Established in 1978, Heathcote Winery was one of the region’s first commercial wineries. But our story started way back in 1854, when popular pioneering gent Thomas Craven established the miners’ produce store that now houses our cellar door. Lured here by the glittering gold rush, Craven sold and traded goods for gold while his horses and mail coach awaited the next potentially perilous journey.

In 1997, an independent group of wine enthusiasts purchased the winery. Led by Stephen Wilkins, they share a passionate commitment to produce wines that reflect the region while retaining our renowned style. Our wines attest to this commitment, delivering concentrated fruit aromas and flavours along with intense colour, and a finishing elegance enhanced by splashes of viognier. Heathcote Winery is now meeting the demand for wines truly reflective of the region – along with our distinctive stamp of innovation and excellence.

Our Locale

For many, the name Heathcote conjures up images of rich red Cambrian soil stretching across an expansive landscape. For our winemaker Rachel Gore, this dynamic and diverse region presents the perfect challenge for crafting shiraz unlike any other. With its own unique microclimate, Central Heathcote makes it possible to produce shiraz styles that are both bold and elegant, with a voluptuous fruit flavour when young that evolve through the dark red spectrum without stewed fruit characteristics. Natural tannins seemingly find their balance, adding length to the palate. In this hauntingly rugged landscape, winter rains give way to cold spring nights, before yawning into warmer dry conditions through to harvest. With free-draining, slightly hungry soils derived from Cambrian greenstone, yields are naturally low.