Ben Haines

“It was back in 2003 that I began making my own single vineyard wines – not for commercial release but rather as a personal fascination with the idea of interpreting places through winemaking. The first was a rustic cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon from a stunning vineyard in Clarendon Hills, teetering on the border of the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. The following season, 2004, the allure of Shiraz from Langhorne Creek took hold. This was the beginning of my vineyard exploration.

“Each vintage, each season, my senses are illuminated by the pervasive beauty of nature presenting itself, and amazingly, offering a humbling opportunity in return for me to share. I feel so connected to this. There is so much beauty and honesty in wine. It offers a true window into a special period of time like a hedonistic time capsule that can be revisited, shared, pondered and enjoyed at any time with food and friends.” –Ben Haines

Ben Haines is a boutique winemaker in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. He is a bit different from the estate wineries in the Little Peacock portfolio, as his focus is to source grapes from “magic dirt” of different origins year-to-year and season-to-season.

The vineyards he chooses are those possessing great interest, charm and depth, and that capture a sense of mystique. Ben’s base is the Yarra Valley, where he formerly worked as winemaker for Yering Station before moving to the Grampians to be head winemaker at the historic Mt Langi Ghiran winery. Having trained in viticulture, he pays close attention to what’s happening in each vineyard throughout the growing season. His wines are intensely textural with flavors continuing to develop sip after sip. Fruit is expressive, structure is present without being constraining.

From around Victoria, Ben crafts single-vineyard expressions of Roussanne, Marsanne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.