Established in 1970, Brokenwood Wines has evolved from a weekend venture for self-professed hobby winemakers into one of Australia’s most reputable wine labels. Brokenwood was founded by a trio of Sydney-based solicitors -- Tony Albert, John Beeston and James Halliday -- who paid a then record price of $970 per acre for a 10-acre block in the foothills of the Brokenback Ranges. The original block - originally planned as a cricket ground for the local community was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Growth was steady until the boom of 1978, when six new partners joined, allowing the purchase of the next door "Graveyard Vineyard." Designated as a cemetery by the local town planners, but never used as such, the block had been planted with Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon. The heavy clay soil resulted in vintages of low yield, but with extraordinary concentration of flavour in the berries, providing a distinctive wine style that is still evident in the Brokenwood red wines. The Graveyard Vineyard created Brokenwood's flagship wine, the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, which is still sourced exclusively from this one vineyard. In the same year, Brokenwood sourced fruit from outside the Hunter Valley for the first time - Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra - which was blended with Hunter fruit to make a premium red, creating the style that has been synonymous with Brokenwood for the last 20 years. In 1982, the company extended its range to include white wines - notably the jewel of the Hunter Valley, Semillon. With this broadened scope, the partners decided to consolidate further growth by appointing a Chief Winemaker/Managing Director. Iain Riggs joined Brokenwood in 1982, introducing new winery equipment and facilities specifically for premium white wine production. Brokenwood was now capable of producing high quality white wine, which, since 1983, has been a significant part of its total production. Brokenwood's Single Vineyard philosophy has grown to capture the essence (terroir to the French) of their premium sites throughout Australia. The first single vineyard selection from the Graveyard Vineyard was in 1983. Since then our Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz has gained considerable international recognition. The Langton’s Classification of Distinguished Australian Wine has it as the highest rated Hunter Valley red wine, in the "Outstanding" category. Iain Riggs has been passionate about exploring new premium regions to produce single vineyard wines, as each vintage allows, ensuring that quality will never be compromised. Their Single Vineyard Selection typifies Brokenwood's focus on excellence and passion for making great wine. The multi-regional blend wines, such as the popular Cricket Pitch range, are sourced from premium regions throughout Australia to create a style that demonstrate balance, elegance and consistency. While the size of the company has grown, the operation remains deliberately labour intensive, being the only way of assuring the individuality of the wines.
