Grove Estate Wines was established in 1989 in the Hilltops Region of NSW, which is known for its red volcanic soil and micro-climates which allow local vineyards to plant a wide variety of grapes.
Grove Estate viticulturalist Brian Mullany said the unique growing conditions produce some of the best cool climate red grapes in the state.
“The grapes from the Hilltops region are sought after by wineries in every region in NSW and throughout Australia, with our grapes making their way to wineries in the Hunter Valley, Canberra Region and throughout the Southern Highlands,” Mr Mullany said.
Thanks to funding from the NSW Government the winery has upgraded its current cold storage facilities which will allow more wine connoisseurs from around the world to enjoy the distinctive taste of Hilltops grapes.
The Estate already had a small export presence in Canada and is now making its mark on the lucrative UK market.
“Our new cool storage facility has allowed us to store large quantities of bottled wine, proudly branded Hilltops region, which will help promote Hilltops as a wine region to the rest of the world,” Mr Mullany said.
Running a growing vineyard is a labour of love, but Grove Estate is also the result of a love story.
Brian met his partner Suellen in 1987 and two years later, on their wedding day, he began the first plantings at Grove Estate which now stretches to 100 hectares of vines.
“My brother-in-law Mark Flanders loved drinking wine and convinced me to begin the vineyard in 1989 so I actually planted the first vines on our wedding day, 7 October 1989,” Mr Mullany said.
“Unfortunately, those first vines all died due to a lack of water, but the following year everything flourished, and the rest is history” Suellen Mullany said.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Executive Director Harriet Whyte said Grove Estate has helped put the Hilltops region and NSW on the map with the label taking out a prestigious London Wine Competition prize in 2021 and its growing presence in the overseas market.
“The Hilltops region prides itself on its rich history and emerging food and wine culture and it’s fantastic to think that even more people will visit and learn about this special place in regional NSW,” Ms Whyte said.
Grove Estate received $100,0000 from the NSW Government to improve its cold storage facilities including the addition of extra insulation to meet industry standards and prevent large temperature variations, resurfacing the floor and renovating the cool stores to minimise light exposure for the wine.
As well as employing local businesses for the cold storage upgrade, the facility is expected to create an additional five local jobs, as well as using local transport companies for wine distribution.