About Us
St Leonards Vineyard in the Rutherglen Wine Region in North East Victoria is a picturesque and relaxing destination for wine enthusiasts and nature purists. The vineyards at St Leonards are home to a mix of classic and curious varieties. From the usual suspects of Shiraz,Chardonnay and Semillon, and the regionally revered Durif to the lesser known Cabernet Franc. They all seem to like where they are, producing wines with vibrant fruit character and great balance. St Leonards is in a unique spot located in a loop of the Murray River, it's waters fast flowing and still mountain-cold. It always seems cooler than other vineyards nearby. It is more peaceful too. Pelicans spiral down to the nearby lagoon and glide silently through the reflections of the towering gums along the waterline. The vineyards move slowly as well, with the lower temperatures drawing out the growing season to maximise the development of intense fruit flavours. Our winemaking philosophy is all about making the most of our unique place – the soil, the river, the climate and the fruit – to create handcrafted wines that truly reflect where they are from. Each variety planted in the vineyard whether young or old, traditional or modern, reflects its place in the in the world. Vineyard to bottle, each part of the process is painstakingly overseen by winemakers, Nick Brown and Chloe Earl. Supported by a dedicated vineyard team that prune, nurture and help with the harvest of each vintage. Paul Heard, our vineyard manager and his crew work together to enrich the soils and implement sustainable vineyard practices to ensure the highest quality fruit for our wines. The highly labour intensive work of vine growing and winemaking continues with traditional hand plunging ferments in open concrete fermenters, gentle pressing in the 100+ year-old basket press. Finally quiet barrel aging before bottling is the end stage of the duty of care that is taken to deliver wines that are very special. The techniques we employ are designed to allow the fruit grown on the Estate its most pure expression. Our careful approach could be well summed up as a deliberate lack of intervention with our fruit to produce elegant, complex wines of integrity and depth. It’s ironic that while our commitment to traditional methods has a huge influence on the wines we produce, perhaps their greatest influence is that they have little influence at all. Eliza, Angela and Nicholas Brown form the fourth-generation wine family who own and run St Leonards Vineyard and All Saints Estate in Wahgunyah, part of the famed Rutherglen wine region of North-East Victoria. Each brings a wealth of experience gained both in and outside the wine industry. Eliza is at the helm as CEO with sister, Angela Sales and Marketing Director and brother, Nicholas as General Manager and Winemaker. All share the vision of producing outstanding premium table wines and to share one of Australia’s finest winery experiences. They believe that innovation, youthful passion, a healthy respect for traditional winemaking and a talented team of people are the key to delivering that vision. They are honoured to continue the wine-making tradition established by their father Peter R Brown, who passed away in November 2005. Peter was one of the original Brown Brothers of Milawa and Eliza, Angela and Nicholas all play a role in the ongoing management of that business in addition to their independent ownership of St Leonards Vineyard and All Saints Estate.