Our History

When the property was purchased in 1990 it had a small plantation of fruit trees and table grapes which were removed and the ground rested for two years prior to the first planting.

Planting began with disease-resistant rootstock, which was then left for 12 months to establish their root system prior to field grafting.

Each year the new area selected for planting was prepared by deep ripping and disking the soil with the addition of gypsum; dolomite and superphosphate. This was done to provide the soil with the right structure; pH level and nutrients. The vines were then grafted with Shiraz scion.

This regime was continued until 1997 when one-year-old bench grafted vines were planted to provide an earlier maturity. Harvest extends from late January until April while pruning occurs during July, August and September. To date, 7 hectares of the property have been planted which can produce over 50 tonnes of grapes annually which is enough for our small, family-run vineyard.

WhenMichaelandAnn Bourkeset off for the Granite Belt on their motorcycles in March 2010, little did they realise that 9 months later they would be the proud owners of Jester Hill Wines!