Best’s has announced the purchase of the most significant investment in vineyards in the company’s 150-year history, with the acquisition of 400 hectares of premium land in Great Western.

The property, to be known as Sugarloaf Creek Vineyard (currently trading as Hyde Park) has 114 hectares under vine, and is predominantly planted to Shiraz, with some Cabernet and a small parcel of Merlot.

Fruit from the vineyards will help supply Best’s Bin No. 1 Great Western Shiraz and Great Western Cabernet and will also continue to support other wine companies in the area who already purchase fruit from this vineyard. As custodian of some of the oldest vineyards in the world, it’s been important to the Thomson family to keep this significant regional vineyard in family hands and to further build the reputation of premium Great Western Shiraz and Cabernet.

Managing director and fifth generation Ben Thomson noted, “Great Western has always been the home of Best’s and this vineyard acquisition helps to guarantee the supply of wine from our region for future generations. The Sugarloaf Creek Vineyard is 2 kilometres from the site where William Thomson bought the 138-hectare St Andrews orchard and vineyard in Rhymney in 1893, and will help to bolster the quality of our wines for years to come. We could not be more delighted to be custodians of this special parcel of land.”
Great Western has always been the home of the Best and Thomson families, with 38 hectares of vines currently owned.