Sunshine Creek

Packaging magnate James Zhou has a wine business in China and, over the years, has worked with an A–Z of distinguished Australian winemakers, including Grant Burge, Philip Shaw, Phillip Jones, Pat Carmody and Geoff Hardy, to bring their wines to China. It was a logical extension to produce Australian wine of similar quality and James commissioned Mario Marson to find an appropriate existing vineyard. They discovered Martha’s Vineyard, which was planted in the 1980s by Olga Szymiczek. The site was a particularly good one, which compensated for the need to change the existing spur-pruned vineyard (for mechanisation) to vertical shoot position (VSP) for increased quality and hand-picking. At the same time, an extensive program of grafting was undertaken and new clones were planted. In 2011 Andrew Smith (formerly of Lusatia Park Vineyard) was appointed vineyard manager to change the focus of management to sustainability and minimal interference. In ’14 winemaker Chris Lawrence joined the team and an onsite winery (capable of handling 275t) was completed prior to the ’16 vintage. In ’17 there was a changing of the guard in the winery as Mario decided to concentrate solely on his Vinea Marson brand and Chris took on the role of chief winemaker. Exports to Hong Kong, Japan and China. -JAMES HALLIDAY