As is widely known, the most authoritative winery rating in Australia is determined by the star system established by James Halliday, the godfather of Australian wine. The highest rating is five-star, and Greenstone is one of them.

In Australia, less than 5% of wineries achieve this level, meaning only 5 out of every 100 wineries are five-star. According to James Halliday's criteria, becoming a five-star winery is extremely difficult; in the same vintage, two wines must achieve the highest rating of 94 points or higher, and this rating must be maintained consistently to earn this honor.

The story of Greenstone Vineyards began in 2003 when three giants of the wine industry, driven by reverence for terroir and a vision for innovation, co-founded the winery in the Heathcote region of Victoria, Australia, initially named "Greenstone of Heathcote." The founding team was a dream team: Mark Walpole, former viticulturist at Brown Brothers Winery, laid the foundation for meticulous viticulture and is now the winery's manager; renowned Italian winemaker Alberto Antonini brought Old World winemaking wisdom, his experience at the Antinori family winery infusing the winery with classic heritage; and British Master of Wine David Gleave MW, with his industry foresight, guided the quality direction, and is also the founder of Liberty Wines.

The winery's name originates from the unique "greenstone soil" of the Heathcote region, a defining terroir that has been the core soul of the winery from its inception. In 2015, the winery reached a pivotal turning point – its acquisition by the Melbourne Jiang family marked the beginning of a new chapter in its cross-regional development. The acquisition of the former Yarra Ridge winery in the Yarra Valley further solidified its position. Founded in 1983 by Louis Bialkower and wine critic James Halliday, this estate brought mature vineyards and advanced production facilities to Greenstone, establishing a dual-region operation of "Heathcoat + Yarra Valley." This approach maintains the characteristics of the original terroir while expanding the winemaking possibilities for cool-climate wines. Annual production remains stable at a small-batch, boutique scale, with the Yarra Valley base alone producing 800 cases per day, totaling approximately 4,000 tons annually, striking a balance between quality and scale.

Region

Greenstone Winery's success is rooted in two distinct yet equally exceptional terroirs. This geographical diversity allows the winery to produce wines with distinct styles yet equally high quality.

Heathcote: The winery's birthplace, this land, situated at the foot of the Camel Range in the Colbinabbin region, north of the Great Dividing Range, sits at an altitude of approximately 200 meters. It boasts a rare and ancient terroir – red soil formed 550 million years ago during the Cambrian period. Rich in copper-bearing basalt ("greenstone"), the soil's core component, with a near-neutral pH, it contrasts sharply with the acidic characteristics of most Australian volcanic soils. This excellent drainage imparts a unique minerality to the grapes. The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warm and dry with significant diurnal temperature variations, providing ideal conditions for the accumulation of flavor compounds and the refinement of tannins. The winery owns 40 hectares of land here, with 20 hectares of vineyards planted east-west to cleverly avoid direct afternoon sun, ensuring uniform fruit quality. The planting density reaches 4,500 vines per hectare, sacrificing yield for high concentration of flavor. The core grape variety here is Shiraz (85%, approximately 17 hectares), along with other red grape varieties such as Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Mona Strayer. The grapes produced here are intensely fruity and have firm tannins, forming the core source of the winery's flagship red wines.

Yarra Valley Yarra Valley Region: As Victoria's most renowned cool-climate wine region, located just 50 kilometers northeast of Melbourne, its surrounding mountains and lush green landscape create a mild and humid climate. Influenced by maritime air currents, the grapes have a longer ripening period, resulting in bright and refreshing acidity that imparts an elegant and delicate character to the wines. The winery's acquired vineyards boast diverse Silurian mudstone soils, and the complex geological structure contributes to the rich layers of flavor in the grapes. The winery focuses on cultivating cool-climate-suited varieties, including 11.7 hectares of Chardonnay, 4.1 hectares of Pinot Noir, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier. The minerality of Chardonnay and the fine tannins of Pinot Noir have become signature characteristics of the Yarra Valley wines, perfectly complementing the rich style of Heathcoat.

Winemaking

Greenstone Winery's winemaking philosophy revolves around "showcasing the authenticity of terroir and pursuing elegance and purity." Unfolding, the winery deeply blends the traditional wisdom of the Old World with the innovative spirit of Australia, showcasing an unwavering pursuit of quality in every step.

In viticulture, the winery adheres to the principle of "meticulous management," promoting sustainable viticulture and rejecting excessive intervention in natural growth. All grapes are hand-picked, rigorously selected for uniform ripeness and undamaged fruit to ensure raw material quality; planting density is controlled at less than 4,500 vines per hectare, limiting yield to allow the vines to concentrate nutrients on a select few berries, enhancing flavor intensity and complexity. This "vine-to-fruit" philosophy allows each grape to fully absorb the essence of the terroir, laying a solid foundation for subsequent winemaking.

During winemaking, "separate fermentation" is a core technique—the winery processes and ferments grapes from different plots and even different varieties separately, preserving the unique character of each region's terroir and avoiding flavor homogenization. For some wines, the winery uses wild yeast fermentation, utilizing natural yeasts on the grape skins and in the environment to initiate the fermentation process. While this is more time-consuming and riskier, it imparts more complex layers of aroma and terroir character to the wine, reflecting the winery's unwavering pursuit of "natural expression." To cater to the different characteristics of dry white and dry red wines, the winery employs differentiated processes: dry white grapes are fermented after being vacuum-pressed to remove the skins, maximizing the preservation of the juice's purity and fresh acidity; dry red wines are fermented with the skins, using a controlled maceration process to extract pigments, tannins, and flavor compounds from the skins, giving the wine a full-bodied structure.

The aging process also showcases meticulous craftsmanship. The winery selects French or American oak barrels depending on the style of the wine. Core red grape varieties such as Syrah are typically aged for around 18 months. Some high-end wines utilize a combination of new and old barrels—new barrels impart complex aromas of vanilla and coconut, while old barrels soften the oak flavors, avoiding masking the grapes' inherent terroir characteristics, resulting in a terroir exceeding that of two barrels. The entire winemaking process follows the principle of "light intervention," minimizing human intervention and allowing the natural characteristics of the grapes and the terroir of the region to naturally emerge in the wine, ultimately forming the unique style of Greenstone Winery that combines complexity, balance, and terroir distinctiveness.