Our journey

Falling in love with vineyards

A trip to the Barossa Valley in the early 1970s lit a fire in Bill – a fascination with wine. The allure of France was strong so he packed up his life and cycled around that country’s great wine regions, being struck by the deep connection that the French wine families had with their vineyards.

“Seeing all those famous places and vineyards was very special but what struck me most, especially in France, was the deep connection that the vignerons had with their vineyards, which in many cases had been in the family for many generations. For these folk growing grapes on the family’s vineyard and making wine was not a job, it was a calling. This was where they belonged. And I had the strangest feeling – I thought I kind of belonged there too”.

The experience changed him. It was as if Bill had just found a piece of his personal puzzle that he didn’t realise was missing. From that time forward the aim to own a vineyard became a burning passion.

Bill and his wife Jane purchased a vineyard in the highlands of Orange in 2013. Colmar Estate was born.