Thomson Family

6th Generation James Thomson from Best's Great Western

Chocolate Fruit Cake

This special recipe for a chocolate fruit cake was originally supplied by Chris Collings who worked at Best’s Wines for over 30 years and is still a pillar of our community. 6th Generation James Thomson has added a few personal touches to present this version to you.

2019 Hamill Shiraz

The name Hamill tells a multigeneration story of the Thomson family, beginning with Emily Grace Hamill, who married Fredrick Thomson. Hamill Shiraz is produced from the Sugarloaf vineyard, which is situated amongst the rolling hills surrounding the black ranges.

Harvesting Grapes at Sugarloaf Creek Vineyard with a Machine harvester

Vineyards & Winemaking

Best’s Wines is celebrated for its rich vineyard resources in Victoria’s Great Western. Get to know our vineyards and winemaking techniques with this in depth post.

The history of Bin No. 0 Shiraz

The evolution of Bin No. 0 began more than 150 years ago when Henry Best planted vines at the Concongella Vineyard in 1868.

Best's Bart's Block Shiraz

2017 Bart’s Block Shiraz

Bart’s Block is a very special parcel of dry grown Shiraz in the Concongella vineyard. Planted in 1966 with Best’s Old Block Clone Shiraz and named to commemorate the birth of Hamish “Bart” Thomson in the same year.

Pruning Grapevines

5 Things you need to know about Pruning a Grapevine

As the weather turns colder the focus turns to the vineyard to prune whilst the vines are dormant. The following is a list of the five main things you need to know.

Young Thomson boy looking at bottles of wine

The Thomson Family

Read about the rich history of the Thomson family from William Thomson’s arrival in Australia in 1876 to Ben Thomson, who is today Managing Director and Vineyard Manager for Best’s.

Best's Wines

Tasting Wine Like A Pro

Learn to swirl, taste and assess and store wine and get our best tips on writing tasting notes

Historical photo of Mr. Best

The Best Family

Learn about the history of the Best family and Great Western from Viv Thomson.

Pinot Meunier vs Pinot Noir

Viv Thomson shines a light on Pinot Meunier – one of the oldest varieties growing in our vineyard – and explains the differences between this grape and its close relative Pinot Noir.

Our Riesling Explained

A brief run through of Riesling at Best’s, what, when, why and how? Riesling at Best’s Great Western has a long and illustrious history. Henry Best planted Riesling in our Concongella Vineyard in 1868.

All you need to know about Shiraz

It’s fair to say it’s our favourite grape varietal, and whether you call it shiraz or syrah there’s lots to love about this distinctive red wine. We’ve been making shiraz in our home of Great Western, Victoria for over five generations.

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