Wyndham Estate

1828
George Wyndham established 'Dalwood' on the banks of the Hunter River.

1830
George Wyndham planted Australia's first commercial Shiraz vineyard.

1835
First vintage. Due to the extremely hot conditions, "promised to make good vinegar".
 

2) Expansion

1847
George Wyndham imported the first Hereford cattle to mainland Australia.

1860
George Wyndham's total vineyard holdings were the second largest in the colony - producing 11,000 gallons of wine per annum. Exports of Dalwood wines to England and India commenced.

1867
Dalwood vineyards expand to more than 65 acres, principally shiraz, cabernet and white hermitage. These vines were still producing in the late 1950s and were then said to be the oldest wine producing vines in the world.

1870
George Wyndham dies on 24 December (aged 69).

1882
Dalwood awarded the coveted Gold Medal for best Australian wine at Bordeaux, France.
 

3) Wyndham Estate is born

1970
Dalwood wines renamed Wyndham Estate in honour of its founder George Wyndham.

1972
Wyndham Estate BIN range of wines launched

2006
George Wyndham range of wines launched

2007
Wyndham Estate awarded the prestigious Grand Vinitaly Award - the first time ever for a wine producer from the Southern Hemisphere
 

4) Today

2010
More than 3,500 rare historic documents recovered and donated to Mitchell Library, New South Wales. "This is arguably the world's largest single collection relating to the running of a colonial vineyard, showing Dalwood's growth from being one of the first vineyards in the Hunter, by 1886, to being the second largest in Australia"says Tracy Bradford, State Library Head of Manuscripts.

2011
Stellar global swag for 2008 vintage BIN 555:
 - Gold at the Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux
 - Grand Gold at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
 - 85 points by renowned US wine critic Harvey Steiman for the Wine Spectator
 - 91 points from Australian wine expert James Halliday in his 2011 Australian Wine Companion

2011
Wyndham Estate is firmly established as one of Australia's leading wine brands, exported to over 65 countries.

Wyndham Estate, attracting 40,000 visitors a year, crowned one of Australia's best tourism attractions - winning best Tourism Winery at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

Our Land

Wyndham Estate’s grapes are grown using the latest irrigation technology so water is used as efficiently as possible. Improving irrigation efficiencies and vineyard design is a big part of Wyndham Estate’s environmental sustainability actions. Irrigation, through meticulous soil moisture monitoring, is carefully controlled to be effective and economical.

Our River

Thousands of indigenous trees have been planted along the banks of the Hunter River at Wyndham Estate. They are part of a very long term project to prevent the river from further degradation and to re-establish native fish populations. This project is supported by the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority and Industry and Investment NSW Fisheries Division.

Energy Efficiency

Insulated tanks and warehousing are used at Wyndham Estate to reduce energy usage, as are energy efficient lighting installations. Innovative processing practices that reduce wine loss and waste have also been implemented, reducing energy consumption.

Accreditations

Our Hunter Valley Vineyards are accredited under AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environment Management Standard and the Winemakers Federation of Australia Entwine environmental assurance scheme. Wyndham Estate was recognised for its environmental achievements in 2010/11 by being accepted as a Bronze Partner – NSW Government Sustainability Advantage Program.

We create wines that are rich, robust and full of flavour. We source most of our fruit from Australia's best warm climate vineyards - where Mother Nature concentrates flavours in the grape. We also pick grapes at peak ripeness to extract optimum flavour.

George Wyndham became the father of Australian Shiraz when he planted the country’s first commercial shiraz vineyard in 1830. It was here, in his vineyard and house that is now a Heritage Listed National Trust Treasure, that he dedicated his life to creating full-flavoured wines.  This proud legacy of innovation and dedication endures at Wyndham Estate, where knowledge and experience is built upon by each generation of winemakers. A wider range of distinctively full-flavoured wines are crafted today. Still, Shiraz remains the signature variety of Wyndham Estate - the birthplace of Australian Shiraz.