Latitude 35˚ South Wines

While from a farming background, Bob and Karen Cybula spent much of their working lives owning and operating supermarkets. When they sold their last Perth store in 2007, they decided to go back to their farming roots but with a difference: when they purchased an 80ha property on Mt Shadforth, they decided to replace cows and kangaroos with vines. In 1998 they began the planting of 2.5ha each of shiraz, chardonnay and merlot, 2ha of pinot noir, and 1ha each of semillon, sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc. Between 2001 and '03 the grapes were sold, but in '04 the first Latitude 35 degrees South wines were made. In the meantime son Matthew (with a significant career as a chef) and wife Tamara (whose parents own Somerset Hill Winery, where Tamara formerly worked) took over management of the vineyards and supervision of the completion of the cellar door, which opened in 2008. Exports to China. -JAMES HALLIDAY