Great wine begins in the vineyard and for Old Plains and Longhop nothing is more important. Our vineyards are unique, remnant plantings that have mostly survived urban expansion and the pursuit of other agricultural profits. They also escaped the vine pull schemes that were popular during the 1980s. These government sponsored schemes saw old, low yielding vines uprooted with the help of subsidies and replaced by cash crops of vegetables and wheat. In some instances vast tracts of old vine shiraz was replaced by chardonnay! What a waste. The remaining small vineyards are true masterpieces of wine grape flavour, weathered, gnarly and magnificent in their defiance of commercial expansion.
