Greenstone Vineyards was established in 2003 as a 40 ha property near the town of Colbinabbin in the renowned Heathcote region of Victoria by global industry leaders David Gleave MW (Liberty Wines UK), Alberto Antonini (Poggiotondo) & renowned Australian viticulturist Mark Walpole. Collectively, they recognised the site being ideal for Shiraz and Sangiovese.
Lying just north of the Great Dividing Range, at an altitude of around 200 metres, the vineyard was planted on a ridge of old Cambrian soil that runs through the eastern side of the range. This narrow strip is unique, not only to vine growing in Victoria, but in Australia. The soils are the oldest known in the country, originating over 550 million years ago. Most soils of volcanic origin in Australia are young and highly acidic whereas these ancient Cambrian soils are near neutral in pH. The range itself is a result of a rift in the sea floor, from which molten rock arose, encapsulating limestone into the lava. The resulting soil is deep, red-coloured, mottled with lime. It is from these soils that we derived our name - Heathcote ‘Greenstone’ is a form of copper-infused basalt and is an integral part of the soil.
With a change of ownership in early 2015 to the Melbourne Jiang family, the success of Greenstone’s Heathcote wines led the team to explore opportunities and expand their repertoire. Upholding the requirement to find the best locations for each varietal the search led to the Yarra Valley and acquisition of the Sticks Winery & vineyards in Yarra Glen later in 2015. Originally established as Yarra Ridge in 1983 by Melbourne Lawyer Louis Bialkower (a close friend and colleague of Australian wine legend James Halliday who assisted in the planting of the vineyard) on 33 hectares at the base of the Christmas Hills, the vineyard quickly gained recognition as a prime site for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today this is the home, Cellar Door & Winery of Greenstone Vineyards.
Our wines are anchored upon our estate vineyards, grown on the ancient soils of two of Australia’s most renowned wine regions: the Heathcote vineyard where Greenstone was born, and our Yarra Valley vineyard where our winery is based. Both vineyards share common characteristics, with the ancient and complex geology of both sites being the main feature. We take a sustainable approach to grape-growing with the purpose of respecting and protecting these ancient sites. The viticultural team, under the leadership of Senior Winemaker Phil, have a deep connection with the vineyards they manage & farm our vineyards with a light hand & minimal soil disturbance, maintaining a healthy cover crop throughout the season to protect the soil structure.
Our winemaking ethos is inextricably linked with the approach in our vineyards. We strongly believe that we have some of the most distinguished sites in Australia and that each wine has a story spanning hundreds of millions of years. Our attitude is to respect the history of each site and to allow its time, place & fruit to shine through in every wine. This is achieved by focusing on freshness, brightness & purity - the qualities that we strive for in the story’s narrative, with minimal winemaking artifice. Simultaneously, we are constantly on a mission to explore & push the boundaries of what can be achieved on each site. There are constant experiments such as new clonal planting material & fermentations with varying amounts of whole-bunch & skin contact time. The story of each vineyard is an evolving one which are constantly seeking to make more interesting.
Lying just north of the Great Dividing Range, at an altitude of around 200 metres, the vineyard was planted on a ridge of old Cambrian soil that runs through the eastern side of the range. This narrow strip is unique, not only to vine growing in Victoria, but in Australia. The soils are the oldest known in the country, originating over 550 million years ago. Most soils of volcanic origin in Australia are young and highly acidic whereas these ancient Cambrian soils are near neutral in pH. The range itself is a result of a rift in the sea floor, from which molten rock arose, encapsulating limestone into the lava. The resulting soil is deep, red-coloured, mottled with lime. It is from these soils that we derived our name - Heathcote ‘Greenstone’ is a form of copper-infused basalt and is an integral part of the soil.
With a change of ownership in early 2015 to the Melbourne Jiang family, the success of Greenstone’s Heathcote wines led the team to explore opportunities and expand their repertoire. Upholding the requirement to find the best locations for each varietal the search led to the Yarra Valley and acquisition of the Sticks Winery & vineyards in Yarra Glen later in 2015. Originally established as Yarra Ridge in 1983 by Melbourne Lawyer Louis Bialkower (a close friend and colleague of Australian wine legend James Halliday who assisted in the planting of the vineyard) on 33 hectares at the base of the Christmas Hills, the vineyard quickly gained recognition as a prime site for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today this is the home, Cellar Door & Winery of Greenstone Vineyards.
Our wines are anchored upon our estate vineyards, grown on the ancient soils of two of Australia’s most renowned wine regions: the Heathcote vineyard where Greenstone was born, and our Yarra Valley vineyard where our winery is based. Both vineyards share common characteristics, with the ancient and complex geology of both sites being the main feature. We take a sustainable approach to grape-growing with the purpose of respecting and protecting these ancient sites. The viticultural team, under the leadership of Senior Winemaker Phil, have a deep connection with the vineyards they manage & farm our vineyards with a light hand & minimal soil disturbance, maintaining a healthy cover crop throughout the season to protect the soil structure.
Our winemaking ethos is inextricably linked with the approach in our vineyards. We strongly believe that we have some of the most distinguished sites in Australia and that each wine has a story spanning hundreds of millions of years. Our attitude is to respect the history of each site and to allow its time, place & fruit to shine through in every wine. This is achieved by focusing on freshness, brightness & purity - the qualities that we strive for in the story’s narrative, with minimal winemaking artifice. Simultaneously, we are constantly on a mission to explore & push the boundaries of what can be achieved on each site. There are constant experiments such as new clonal planting material & fermentations with varying amounts of whole-bunch & skin contact time. The story of each vineyard is an evolving one which are constantly seeking to make more interesting.
