Lillico Wines

Cattle farmer Robert and senior nurse Marie Young impulsively planted 1.7ha of cabernet sauvignon on their property in 1998; two years later they added 1.3ha of pinot noir. In the meantime Marie has completed a diploma of horticulture, specialising in viticulture, at Dookie College. The first commercial vintage of cabernet was sold and, encouraged by the quality of the wine made from their grapes, Marie and Rob decided to produce some of their own wine. Marie promptly enrolled in the diploma of wine technology course and now makes the wines. The vineyard is run on a no-pesticide and non-residual chemical regime, and the vines are not irrigated. -JAMES HALLIDAY