Grampians Estate was established in 1989 in the Guthrie family farm ‘Thermopylae’ with the planting of 1.6 ha of Shiraz and Chardonnay vines at Mafeking on the Eastern side of the Grampians National Park. In 1994 a group of friends banded together to further develop the vineyard (another 1.6 ha) and produce wine. Vintages ensued from 1995, Tom and Sarah taking over the business from 2004. A Trophy for the 2003 Streeton Reserve Shiraz at the 2005 National Wine Show in Canberra was a high point, but two months later the 2006 Grampians bushfire destroyed most of the vineyard. Locals helped salvage the vineyard and in time it recovered. In 2009 Grampians Estate took over the former Garden Gully Vineyard (5 ha)and Cellar Door giving it a shopfront for its wines. In 2020 it expanded the Cellar Door with a winery café and deck looking out over the historic St Ethels Vineyard, first planted by the Salinger family in 1878. Retiring from his years running his family’s sheep farm, Tom has taken charge of the winemaking having just completed a Wine Science Degree by distance education at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Tom, Sarah and daughter Pollyanna have a real hand-on approach to running their family business and are involved in all aspects of the operation. Grampians Estate produces a wide range of sparkling, white and red wines, with about 30% of it’s production being sourced from local vineyards. With an eye to the future (demand, climate change), it has just planted some Grenache and Tempranillo. Whilst cool-climate Shiraz (and Sparkling Shiraz) will always be the signature wines of the Grampians Region, these varieties are part of a growing diversity of other varieties being planted in the Region.