About Bainton Family Wines

The Fordwich vineyard, owned by the Bainton family, has seen many changes of hands in its time, from Dan Hanley, who acquired it as a ‘Soldier’s Grant’ when he returned from service in World War 1, to the Elliot Family, James Harold Tulloch, Len Evans and a group who supplied fruit to Wyndham Estate.

The first planting of the grapes took place in the early 1920's by Snowy Brickman. The property was later sold to James Harold Tulloch in 1928.

The Bainton family became involved in viticulture in the Broke-Fordwich region of the Hunter Valley in 1982. They have since planted forty-eight hectares of Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Semillon, Shiraz and Verdelho.

A state-of-the-art modern winery was built in 2000 and this has enhanced the production of wines of premium quality which are becoming more and more popular among the wine lovers of Australia and overseas.

The Semillon, in particular, comes from the oldest vines on the property. They are dry-grown, with a low yield and produce fruit of the finest quality. The Shiraz Vines, planted during the 1940s and 1950s, receive considerable pruning and they also have a low yield – about four tonnes of grapes an acre – and produce fruit of great depth and flavour. The winemaker is thus assisted by such quality in developing wines of distinction, colour and lasting characteristics.

The quality of the fruit is such that two major players in the Hunter Valley, Tyrrells and The Rothbury Estate supplement their stocks with The Bainton family’s output. Which is no small achievement in itself.

The wines that The Bainton family produce have won many awards of which they can be most proud. These are the rewards for their hard work and dedication to the winemaking culture of the Hunter Valley.