Echo Ridge Wines

When Greg and Anthony Ward purchased the 40ha property now known as Echo Ridge, it already had well-established vines, together with a 3000-tree olive plantation. They secured Mark Woods (of Briar Ridge) as their contract winemaker, but have deliberately sold part of the grape production, limiting the amount of each wine released to a maximum of 5000 dozen. They have also built and opened a sophisticated cellar door, which came on-stream in 2009. The vineyard is planted to semillon, shiraz, verdelho, chardonnay and petit verdot. -JAMES HALLIDAY