About Southern Highland Wines

Southern Highland Wines are located at the corner of Oldbury Road and the Illawarra Highway, Sutton Forest, New South Wales. It is one of the premier cool-climate regions of Australia. Although it is a relatively new wine region, it has fast gained a reputation as one that produces wines of distinctive characters, elegance and varietal definition.

Even though vines were first planted in this region in the 1870s, it was not until fifteen years ago that the region came into prominence, when concentrated plantings began. Now the region has around sixty vineyards and eight wineries, or Cellar Doors.

The vineyard is a mere hour’s drive from Sydney, or two from Canberra. Already, many great varietals are showing high quality for such a short time in development. These varietals include: Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The whole region is a wonderful tourist destination and the delightful village of Sutton Forest is a perfect example of the charm of this area.

It was on the shores of Lago di Garda in Northern Italy in October 2000 that Simon Gilbertson and winemaker, Eddy Rossi, came up with the idea of building a winery. After checking out the Southern Highlands a few times, Simon saw the similarity in climate and topography to his native New Zealand and he became convinced of the potential of the area.
Five partners in all agreed on the site which now is the home of Southern Highland Wines and began to plant two individual vineyards, a 16-hectare home winery block and a 28-hectare reserve block. They were on their way to producing grapes of unique and diverse wine styles that reflected the special qualities of the region.

Now, after much hard work and dedication, they have Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Traminer and Viognier available for tasting and purchase at their Cellar Door.