In 1873 French judges, tasting blind, praised wines from Australia, but withdrew when the provenance was revealed, saying that wines of that quality must clearly be French. Vines have been grown successfully in Australia since the 1820s as European settlers realised that the Mediterranean climate was ideal for viticulture.

Charlie's love of wine started at a young age, his Mum and Dad run Kangarilla Road and he was literally topping barrels and had his own ‘toddler’ sized hand plunger at age three.

His approach to winemaking is simple. He treats the vineyard with respect, from the soil to the grape. Excellent winemaking starts with outstanding fruit.

Montepulciano is a red Italian wine grape variety. It produces wines with fruit flavours of black cherry and plum, seasoned with oregano and, in the best examples, hints of chocolate and clove.

It should not be confused with Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a wine named after the town of Montepulciano and made from a blend of grapes with a majority of Sangiovese.