Halliday Wine Companion

What does it take to revitalise one of Australia's most iconic wineries while preserving decades of winemaking history?In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with acclaimed winemaker Julian Grounds, technical director at Stonier on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, to explore the remarkable transformation of one of the region’s pioneering pinot noir and chardonnay producers.From his beginnings in Western Australia's Great Southern region to working at Leeuwin Estate, Giant Steps and New Zealand's Craggy Range, Julian has built an extraordinary international winemaking career.Now, he's helping lead a new chapter for Stonier following its return to family ownership in late 2022.Julian reveals how the team has refocused production, reclaimed historic vineyards and elevated Stonier's premium pinot noir and chardonnay wines, with the outstanding 2025 vintage marking a significant turning point.The conversation also ventures into the Grampians, where Julian is making shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and riesling at Fallen Giants, before exploring the exciting future of Seppelt Great Western and its historic Drumborg vineyard.In this episode:Julian's journey from Margaret River to Burgundy, Oregon and New ZealandLessons from Steve Flamsteed at Giant Steps, and also Craggy RangeThe transformation of Stonier under new family ownershipWhy the 2025 vintage represents a milestone for StonierThe importance of Merricks and its distinctive Mornington Peninsula terroirCreating exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay from historic vineyardsWhy affordable luxury matters in Australian wineThe potential of Grampians riesling, shiraz and cabernet sauvignonThe future of Seppelt Great Western and the historic Drumborg vineyardFrom protecting Australia's winemaking heritage to creating wines that reflect their place, Julian shares his vision for the future of premium Australian wine.This episode is proudly brought to you by Langton's.⁠https://www.langtons.com.au/⁠Explore Halliday Wine CompanionHalliday Wine CompanionFollow Halliday Wine Companion on InstagramFollow Anna Webster on InstagramOrder the 2027 Halliday Wine CompanionAbout the guestJulian Grounds is technical director at Stonier Wines on the Mornington Peninsula and an internationally experienced winemaker. His career includes Leeuwin Estate, Giant Steps and Craggy Range in New Zealand, alongside experience in Burgundy and Oregon. Today, Julian oversees winemaking across Stonier, Fallen Giants and Seppelt.Discover Stonier Wines:https://www.stonier.com.au/Discover Fallen Giants:https://www.fallengiants.com.au/Discover Seppelt Great Western:https://seppeltgreatwestern.com.au/

How did an abandoned Barossa vineyard become one of Australia’s most recognised family-owned wineries?In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Anna Webster sits down with Allister Ashmead, co-managing director of Elderton Wines, to uncover the remarkable family story behind this Barossa icon.The Elderton journey began when Allister’s parents, Neil and Lorraine Ashmead, returned from Saudi Arabia and moved into a historic Nuriootpa homestead surrounded by neglected old vines. Disillusioned by grape growing, they began producing wine with the help of legendary Barossa winemaker Peter Lehmann.Allister shares stories from Elderton’s early years, including his parents’ homemade bathtub wine in Saudi Arabia, the creation of Command Shiraz and the 1993 Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy victory that helped secure the winery’s future.He also speaks candidly about the profound loss experienced by the Ashmead family, the strength of his mother Lorraine and the decision he and his brother Cameron made to return home and continue their parents’ legacy.Today, Elderton produces wine from its own vineyards across Nuriootpa, Greenock and Mengler Hill. Allister explains how these distinctive sites shape the wines, why the 130-year-old Command Shiraz vines remain so resilient and how winemakers Julie Ashmead and Brock Harrison are bringing greater freshness and finesse to classic Barossa styles.The conversation also explores the touching story behind Ode to Lorraine, secretly created in honour of the family matriarch, and Sixfold Shiraz, named for the six members of Elderton’s next generation.In this episode:The origins of Elderton Wines.Homemade wine adventures in Saudi Arabia.Restoring an abandoned Barossa vineyard.Creating Command Shiraz from vines planted in 1894.Winning the 1993 Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy.The Ashmead family’s resilience and succession story.The meaning behind Ode to Lorraine and Sixfold Shiraz.Why old vines produce such distinctive wines.How Elderton is preparing for the next generation.Explore Halliday Wine CompanionHalliday Wine CompanionFollow Halliday Wine Companion on InstagramFollow Anna Webster on InstagramOrder the 2027 Halliday Wine CompanionAbout the guestAllister Ashmead is co-managing director of Elderton Wines, leading the family-owned Barossa winery alongside his brother Cameron. He returned to the business to help establish its winery, expand its estate vineyards and continue the legacy created by his parents, Neil and Lorraine Ashmead.Discover Elderton Wines: https://eldertonwines.com.au/Follow Elderton Wines on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eldertonwines/Elderton on Halliday Wine Companion: Read the winery profileMeet the Ashmead family: Read the Elderton family story

What does it take to become Australia's best winemaker? And what happens when you win two of the country's most prestigious wine awards in the same year?In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with Steve Flamsteed, the 2027 Halliday Winemaker of the Year, whose Tasmanian wine venture, Decades, also claimed the coveted Best New Winery award.From helping transform Giant Steps into one of Australia's most celebrated producers of Yarra Valley pinot noir and chardonnay to launching an award-winning Tasmanian winery with longtime friend and Stone & Wood co-founder Brad Rogers, Steve's journey is anything but conventional.Originally trained as a chef, Steve's career has taken him from the kitchens of Maggie Beer's Pheasant Farm to cheesemaking in France, winemaking at Leeuwin Estate and more than 17 years shaping the wines of Giant Steps alongside founder Phil Sexton.Steve shares the fascinating story behind Innocent Bystander's wildly successful Pink Moscato, how its commercial success helped fund Giant Steps' expansion into exceptional single-vineyard sites, and the lessons he learnt along the way.We also head south to Tasmania's Coal River Valley, where Steve and Brad have turned a friendship spanning more than three decades into Decades, a boutique producer focused on premium cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay.Steve explains what makes Tasmanian pinot noir so different from Yarra Valley pinot, the importance of soils, clones and whole-bunch fermentation, and why the 2025 Decades Pinot Noir might be one of the best wines he's ever made.But beyond the awards, vineyards and wines, there's a philosophy at the heart of Steve's approach to winemaking: wine isn't an industry – it's a community.From the generosity of fellow winemakers to the importance of challenging convention, continuing to learn and surrounding yourself with great people, Steve reflects on what really makes a great winemaker.In this episode, we explore:Steve's unlikely journey from chef and cheesemaker to Halliday Winemaker of the Year.Working alongside Maggie Beer and the lessons that shaped his approach to winemaking.The early days of Giant Steps and Phil Sexton's vision for Yarra Valley pinot noir and chardonnay.How Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato helped finance the growth of Giant Steps.The story of Decades and Steve's 30-plus-year friendship with Brad Rogers.Why Tasmania's Coal River Valley is such an exciting region for cool-climate wine.The differences between making pinot noir and chardonnay in Tasmania and the Yarra Valley.Vineyard selection, whole-bunch fermentation and the pursuit of exceptional pinot noir.Why collaboration, curiosity and community are essential to making great Australian wine.Explore Halliday Wine CompanionHalliday Wine CompanionFollow Halliday Wine Companion on InstagramFollow Anna Webster on InstagramOrder the 2027 Halliday Wine CompanionAbout the guestSteve Flamsteed is the 2027 Halliday Winemaker of the Year and one of Australia's most respected cool-climate winemakers. Formerly chief winemaker at Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley, Steve helped establish its reputation for exceptional single-vineyard pinot noir and chardonnay. Today, he is a director and senior consultant at Wine Network Consulting, produces Salo chardonnay, and co-owns Decades in Tasmania's Coal River Valley with longtime friend Brad Rogers.Follow Steve Flamsteed on InstagramFollow Salo on InstagramDiscover Decades:https://decadeswine.com.au/Follow Decades on InstagramSteve Flamsteed – Wine Network Consulting:https://winenet.com.au/team/steve-flamsteed/Steve Flamsteed – Halliday Winemaker of the Year:Read Steve's Halliday Winemaker of the Year profileDiscover Decades on Halliday Wine Companion:Read the Decades winery profile

What happens when a love of wine turns into three vineyards, a restaurant and an entirely new way of thinking about the land?In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we’re joined by Pen Naish and Nicholas Brown of Black Estate, one of North Canterbury’s most distinctive family-owned wineries.Pen and Nicholas took over Black Estate in 2007, but neither started out expecting to build a life in wine. Pen was working as a corporate lawyer, while Nicholas found his way into winemaking through wine retail, vineyard work and vintages across New Zealand, Italy and the Napa Valley.Nearly two decades later, Black Estate encompasses three organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards plus a fourth leased site, a celebrated restaurant and cellar door, and a philosophy centred on expressing place as clearly as possible.In this conversation, we explore the evolution of Black Estate, the people who influenced Nicholas’s approach to winemaking, and why North Canterbury has become such an exciting region for pinot noir, chardonnay and emerging varieties.Nicholas explains the challenges of transitioning established vineyards away from conventional farming, from managing vine vigour and water to understanding what is really happening beneath the soil.We also get into the role of native yeast, why vineyard biodiversity matters, the use of cattle and regenerative grazing, and how increasing organic matter can dramatically change the amount of water a vineyard can retain.Then there’s chardonnay.Despite pinot noir historically taking much of the spotlight in New Zealand’s South Island, Nicholas believes North Canterbury has the ingredients to produce exceptional chardonnay, with its cool nights, naturally low yields and remarkable mix of clay, gravel and limestone soils.Pen and Nicholas also share what they’re experimenting with next, including chenin blanc, cabernet franc and a high-wire vineyard system designed to allow sheep to graze beneath the vines during the growing season.A conversation about wine, farming, family and why some of the most interesting things happening in the vineyard start long before the grapes reach the winery.Halliday Wine CompanionFollow Halliday Wine Companion on InstagramFollow Anna Webster on InstagramOrder the 2027 Halliday Wine CompanionAbout the guestsPen Naish is co-owner of Black Estate and leads the winery’s sales, marketing, restaurant and cellar door.Nicholas Brown is Black Estate’s winemaker and leads its vineyard program. His career has included vintages in Marlborough, Italy and the Napa Valley before returning to North Canterbury.Discover Black Estate:https://blackestate.co.nz/Black Estate on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/blackestate/Pen Naish – New Zealand Wine:https://www.nzwine.com/en/media/our-people/pen-naish/Chapters00:00 – The Black Estate story03:28 – How Nicholas found winemaking10:29 – Growing Black Estate14:38 – Converting to biodynamic farming18:17 – Native yeast and terroir20:17 – The history of Netherwood vineyard24:21 – Chenin blanc and cabernet franc28:39 – Black Estate’s winemaking philosophy30:02 – Frost and a changing climate33:24 – Regenerative farming and soil health38:12 – Why North Canterbury chardonnay stands out42:11 – What varieties could be next?43:45 – The future of Black Estate

Stephen Pannell is one of Australia’s most influential winemakers and a driving force behind the rise of modern McLaren Vale grenache.In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, Steve shares how a childhood spent working in vineyards in Margaret River eventually led him to winemaking, despite his best efforts to avoid the family profession. From producing more than 200 million bottles of red wine at Hardys to rediscovering his creativity in Barolo, Steve explains how pinot noir and nebbiolo shaped his unique approach to grenache.The conversation explores what makes McLaren Vale grenache so expressive, the importance of tannin, picking decisions and old-vine vineyards, and why great wine should reflect the land rather than the hand of the winemaker. Steve also takes us inside his Little Branch vineyard in Blewitt Springs, where century-old grenache vines produce his distinctly different Sunrise and Sunset wines.Steve also discusses the restoration of his Koomilya vineyard, the inspiration behind his Halliday award-winning Mataro Rosé, and his mission to preserve the future of warm-climate Australian shiraz. He also makes a passionate case for taking rosé, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and merlot seriously, while encouraging wine drinkers to trust their own tastes.As the Australian wine industry faces one of its most challenging periods, Steve reflects on why the country has never made better wine and considers the Mediterranean and Italian varieties that could define its future.Halliday Wine CompanionFollow Halliday Wine Companion on InstagramFollow Anna Webster on InstagramFollow S.C. Pannell on InstagramExplore S.C. Pannell wines: https://scpannell.com.au/In this episode:How Steve Pannell found his way into winemakingThe evolution of modern Australian grenacheWhat pinot noir and nebbiolo taught Steve about grenacheWhy tannin is essential to the identity of red wineThe influence of soil, ironstone and the ocean in McLaren ValeWhat makes Blewitt Springs such a distinctive grenache regionThe story behind the century-old Little Branch vineyardHow Sunrise and Sunset grenache express two parts of the same siteRestoring biodiversity at the Koomilya vineyardWhy premium fruit is essential to serious roséProtecting the future of warm-climate Australian shirazMediterranean grape varieties suited to Australia’s changing climateWhy wine drinkers should never feel intimidated by personal tasteSteve’s hopes for the future of Australian wine