About Tom's Waterhole Wines

Tom's Waterhole Wines are located on Felton Longs Corner Road, Canowindra New South Wales. The terroir of the Canowindra district is ideal for the growing of classic wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Shiraz.

The proprietors of the vineyard are dedicated to the philosophy of achieving excellence in their wines, which they believe should reflect all the unique regional qualities, with a minimum of intervention. To let the grapes ‘speak for themselves’, as they quote.

They are also heavily involved in developing the production of preservative-free wines. They do not use chemicals willy nilly, but rather utilise what is known as Bordeaux Mix, which is a spray of copper, sulphur and lime; a mixture that has been used in vineyards for over a century.

They use a dry growing scheme at the vineyard and only use the emergency irrigation system in times of extreme heat conditions. The vineyard is a certified organic winery and thus no chemical intervention is necessary. They make the wine in small parcels and blend them accordingly to accomplish the right balance of acid and tannin.

It is expected that each vintage gives up subtle differences in the wines, but the overall characters of the region remain true. This especially so of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Shiraz varieties from the Canowindra district. The unique viticultural techniques and winemaking practices ensure that these regional characteristics are enhanced.

Graham Timms is the managing director of Tom's Waterhole Wines. He retired from being the head of AMP's Project and Structured Finance Group in July 2000 and has served on many prominent company boards. His knowledge of finance was a great help in setting up the vineyard

Graham Kerr is the winemaker. Graham was an executive in the food technology industry for many years and also had a small food business in Canowindra. He also developed Balloon Joy Flights and is a qualified hot air balloon pilot.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Semillon and Shiraz are available at their Cellar Door.