The best winemakers of Don Valley

Australia’s Giant Steps said that Melanie Chester joined the winery as head of winemaking and viticulture on 25 November. It marks a new chapter for one of the leading wineries in Yarra Valley, Victoria. Steve Flamsteed, who joined Giant Steps as chief winemaker in 2003, will step back from the cellar – although he is expected to continue working closely with the team. Working alongside winery founder Phil Sexton, Flamsteed has played a major role in developing Giant Steps’ reputation for excell ...

Police ordered the evacuation of more local residents in the Landiras area yesterday (Monday 18 July), with Liber Pater’s vineyard in Graves also evacuated as firefighters continued to try to contain a large forest fire that has been burning for the past week. A ‘fog’ of fire smoke behind Liber Pater vines on Tuesday morning (19 July), said owner Loïc Pasquet, who was briefly able to return to the site. Smoke hasn’t been a problem so far, he said. Credit: Loïc Pasquet. ‘The pol ...

Celebrities from all walks of fame are stepping into the wine world. Sports stars, actors, musicians and TV personalities are all jumping on the wine bandwagon, some owning vineyards and others getting more hands-on in the winemaking itself. This growing trend shows no sign of slowing with recent celebrities to launch their own wines including George Clooney, Gordon Ramsey and Gary Barlow. The Take That star follows in the footsteps of pop singer Kylie Minigue, who launched a successful range of ...