Best’s Bin No. 1 Shiraz Turns 21: Join the Celebrations

Our everyday hero has officially come of age. We’re celebrating 21 vintages of our most popular wine, Best’s Bin  No.1 Shiraz. What began as a vision in 2000 has evolved into a beautiful medium- bodied shiraz that embodies everything we love about making wine here at Best’s Great Western.

Twenty- one years might seem modest for a winery with our history. So why celebrate? We’re incredibly proud of what Bin No. 1 represents. Over two decades, this wine has been refined in the hands of remarkable winemakers- Hamish Seabrook, Adam Wadewitz, Justin Purser and now Jacob Parton – each adding their personal touch while staying true to what the wine represents. It’s the wine that often introduces wine lovers to our flavoursome regional style here in Great Western. Not the big and bold shiraz that they expect, but one more elegant and refined.

We’ve been making shiraz in Great Western Victoria since the 1870s, and while trends may shift, our focus remains. We craft six distinctive shiraz expressions, plus two sparkling shiraz wines each telling the story of our small corner of Victoria and the historic vineyard that we are custodians of. Many will try this wine first when they get to know Best’s, and then discover our other best-kept secrets.

Our cool climate and diurnal weather patterns, along with varying soils across the region – full of quartz, sand, clay, slate and gravel, which combined, define our medium – bodied shiraz. Bin No. 1 is flavoursome and elegant, alive with pepper and spice. The tannins are textural, with generous fruit characteristics. However, as our Chairman and Fourth Generation Viv Thomsom OAM puts it perfectly, “this is a drinking wine, not a thinking wine. Simply pair it with good food, good company and enjoy.”

Bin No. 1 Shiraz is crafted from our own Great Western fruit alongside parcels from trusted local growers, reflecting the strong relationships we’ve built with regional farmers who share our commitment to excellence. Great Western may be small, but our history and connection to shiraz remain a focus and point of difference.

The most memorable moment in Bin No. 1’s journey occurred in 2012, when our 2011 vintage won the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for the best young red wine at the 2012 Melbourne Royal Wine Show. Now, more than a decade later, that style remains true and our commitment to making an affordable, flavoursome shiraz is more focused then ever.

Why the name Bin No. 1?

The tradition of numbering table wines to denotes quality dates to the 1870s. In Australia, it was often paired with European descriptors like Claret or Hock – a practice borrowed from the Bordeaux classification of 1855. While Australia gradually moved away from this system, we have maintained our historic No. 0 linage on our Bin No. 0 Shiraz for over a century. When we launched our new shiraz in 2000, Bin No. 1 was the natural naming convention.

Please join us in celebrating this special milestone. Gather friends, open a bottle, and simply enjoy. If you share your experience on social media, we’d love to see your posts with #BinNo1Turns21.

Want to try this wine yourself? Order the 2021 vintage and see what all the fuss is about.