Domenica - Beechworth, Victoria

Domenica is an estate vineyard in Beechworth, first planted in 1996, with the winery officially launched in 2012 after Peter Graham became sole owner and manager of the property.

Peter Graham has been a central figure in the Beechworth wine community for decades. After completing studies in wine science at Charles Sturt University, he gained experience working in Australia and abroad before settling in Beechworth in the early 1990s. In 1996, he began planting what would become the Domenica vineyard on a steep, north-facing hillside overlooking the township.

The vineyard sits on ancient granite soils, one of the defining geological features of Beechworth. These free-draining, mineral-rich soils encourage deep root systems and naturally low vine vigour, producing fruit with concentration, structure and strong site character. The vineyard’s elevation and cool nights allow grapes to ripen slowly while retaining natural acidity.

Domenica was conceived as a site-focused, small-scale winery, producing wines that reflect the distinctive terroir of Beechworth rather than following a predetermined stylistic formula. The estate vineyard is planted primarily to Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, Shiraz and Roussanne, varieties that Graham believes are particularly well suited to the region’s soils and climate.

Viticulture at Domenica is hands-on and meticulous. Vineyard work is carried out with close attention to canopy management, vine balance and fruit selection, ensuring that only the best fruit reaches the winery. Yields are naturally low, allowing the wines to show depth and clarity of flavour.

In the cellar the philosophy is minimal intervention and gentle handling. Fermentation is typically carried out with indigenous yeasts, and the wines are aged in carefully selected French oak barrels that complement the fruit without dominating it. The goal is to produce wines with precision, texture and longevity, allowing the vineyard character to shine through.

Over the years Domenica has built a reputation as one of the quiet achievers of Beechworth, producing elegant, site-driven wines that combine power with restraint and age beautifully.

By Farr - Geelong, Victoria 

By Farr is a family-owned winery located in the Moorabool Valley near Bannockburn in the Geelong wine region of Victoria, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Melbourne. The estate sits between Geelong and Ballarat in a historic grape-growing district where viticulture dates back more than 200 years to early Swiss settlers who first planted vineyards in the area.

The property was established in 1994, when Gary and Robyn Farr purchased the original block of land. A second section of vineyard was acquired in 1998, which had previously been neglected for decades and required significant restoration before vines could be planted. The estate was completed in 2011 when Nick and Cassie Farr purchased the final parcel connecting the two original blocks, creating a property of roughly 130 acres, with 36 acres under vine and the remainder used for grazing and cropping.

The vineyard is planted to a mixture of Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Shiraz, with multiple clones and rootstocks used to maximise the site’s potential. The Moorabool Valley’s volcanic soils and continental climate produce fruit with distinctive flavour, colour and aromatic character that reflects the region’s unique terroir.

Gary Farr has been making wine in the Moorabool Valley since 1978 and is widely respected as one of Australia’s leading Pinot Noir producers. His winemaking philosophy has been influenced by extensive experience overseas, including time spent at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, as well as wineries in Oregon and California. This exposure helped shape his focus on wines that express site, structure and longevity.

Today the winery is run by the next generation, with Nick Farr playing a leading role in both viticulture and winemaking. While strongly influenced by his father’s approach, Nick has developed his own distinctive style based on extensive international experience, including vintages in Oregon, California and Burgundy.

Black Canvas - Marlborough, New Zealand

Blank Canvas Wines was founded in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW in Marlborough, New Zealand. The project represents the culmination of decades of global winemaking experience, scientific curiosity and a desire to craft wines that express both place and season with clarity and precision.

The philosophy behind Blank Canvas is that wine should be a form of storytelling. Each wine is designed as a thoughtful expression of the land it comes from, the vintage conditions and the people involved in its creation. Rather than following rigid traditions or established formulas, the winery approaches each vineyard and vintage with an open mind, treating every project as a “blank canvas” from which to create wines that excite, inspire and endure.

The wines focus strongly on single-vineyard sites across New Zealand, with the goal of revealing authentic terroir through careful vineyard selection, precision viticulture and restrained winemaking. By working with exceptional vineyard parcels and maintaining transparency of provenance, the winery produces limited-production wines that highlight the individuality of each site.

Matt Thomson brings extensive international experience to the project, having completed more than three decades of harvests across both hemispheres. His background in biochemistry and yeast science informs a winemaking approach that combines scientific precision with creative freedom.

Sophie Parker-Thomson MW provides the strategic and sensory direction of the winery. With a background in law and her achievement of the prestigious Master of Wine title, she shapes the voice and vision behind Blank Canvas, ensuring the wines are not only technically accomplished but also expressive and intellectually engaging.

Together, the pair have built a reputation for producing small-batch, site-driven wines that combine purity, precision and personality, positioning Blank Canvas among the emerging fine-wine producers of Marlborough.

DuMol

DuMOL is a boutique winery in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, internationally recognised for finely detailed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in cool-climate coastal vineyards. The estate was founded in 1996, initially producing small quantities of wine from purchased fruit before gradually evolving into a vineyard-focused estate with its own sites.

The winery’s modern identity has been shaped by winemaker and viticulturist Andy Smith, who joined in 1999 and later became a partner. Originally from Scotland, Smith studied winemaking in New Zealand and gained experience in both the Southern Hemisphere and California before taking the helm at DuMOL.

DuMOL’s philosophy is firmly vineyard-driven, focusing on expressing individual sites within the cooler western Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. The team farms estate and partner vineyards located within a relatively small radius of the winery, allowing close attention to site character and vintage conditions.

Production remains small and highly allocated, with wines released several times each year directly to members and select markets. The portfolio centres on single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, supported by smaller quantities of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and other varieties.

The guiding goal of the estate is to produce wines of purity, vibrancy and site expression, with each vineyard parcel vinified separately so its distinctive character can be captured in the final blend or bottling.