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WYNDHAM ESTATE - World Renowned Vineyard Planted by Convicts
By Andrew Jones
Wyndham Estate, founded in 1828, can justifiably claim the title of Australia's oldest surviving winery. Yet many may be surprised to learn that it was cultivated initially by
British convicts, who had been exiled to the colony of New South Wales.
To tell the whole story it is necessary to go back to 1801 and the birth of George
Wyndham, son of local squire William Wyndham and his wife Laetitia, who owned the prosperous estate of Dinton, near Salisbury, in the English county of Wiltshire.
George was born into a wealthy land-owning family, who possessed farmland stretching from the south coast of England across to the Bristol Channel. He received
a privileged education, first at Harrow school and then at Cambridge University.
Apparently George's father had determined that his son should enter the Anglican
priesthood and whilst George appears to have been a devout Christian he had no such intention. In fact he yearned to see the world. His wanderlust led him to sail for
Canada with the pioneer John Galt, but after experiencing a little hunting and shooting in the bare expanses of what was then called Lower Canada (Ontario), he decided that
particular country was not for him. Next he set out, like many prosperous young English gentlemen, for the Grand Tour of Europe. Curiously he appears to have
traveled alone and arrived on the island of Malta late in 1825, where he was taken ill with a fever which laid him low for several weeks. From there he sailed for Rome where a chance meeting changed his life.
Christmas day 1825 found him still without a companion, and frail and miserable from his illness. Taking a stroll out into the suburban hills, he was stopped quite by chance
by John Still, an old schoolfriend and near neighbor from Wiltshire. John Still was greatly troubled to find him on his own and in such poor condition. This friend insisted
that George should join him and his family and friends for the rest of the day. A day became a week and then George found himself being invited to travel north through the
Italian states and dukedoms with them. Amongst the party was an attractive young lady from Brussels, called Margaret Jay. The young couple fell in love and George
literally followed her home, via an assortment of cities and countries, and asked her father for her hand in marriage. The ceremony took place in the Belgian capital early
in 1827, but for some unknown reason George's family was not invited.
Shortly after the wedding the couple went to London, where George communicated
with his father and took his apprehensive young wife on a hasty visit to the family seat at Dinton. His family seems to have been reasonably understanding and George and
Margaret left with at least part of his inheritance and a flock of 'Southdown sheep'. On August 17th 1827 they boarded the SS George Horn at London Docks and set sail for
Sydney, arriving there just over 4 months later on Christmas Eve. It beggars belief to imagine the conditions that were endured by the passengers and crew on the small
barque with George's flock of sheep sharing the space with them. Worse still some dogs that were also being shipped on the boat appear to have developed rabies and had to be destroyed.
Upon arrival in Sydney the young couple rested there while George made enquiries about acquiring some suitable land. Unlike many settlers who sought land grants
George actually bought his property after seeing it advertised in Sydney on January 2nd 1828. It was then known as Annandale Estate and was being sold as the result of
the insolvency of its owner. With the sale being held on January 15th there was insufficient time for George to travel to the Hunter Valley to inspect the land and he
actually purchased it based on its price and what little he could discover about the area.
George renamed his estate Dalwood, (it only became Wyndham many years later). It
encompassed 2,000 acres and was essentially a mixed farm but as the current chief winemaker for Wyndham Estate correctly says 'wine was George's passion'. To
George's great surprise he discovered that he was entitled to one convict per every 100 acres, providing he fed and housed them. Thus it came about that British convicts,
some of whom had been harshly exiled for the theft of a chicken or a loaf of bread, planted and cultivated his vines. George was particularly conscientious in looking after
his convicts and soon provided them with simple housing. In vineyard matters George was influenced initially by the pioneer viticulturist James Busby, who lived nearby and a decision was made to plant Shiraz first.
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George Wyndham and Dalwood House
George quickly adapted to his new environment, though his young wife was less at ease with snakes and spiders and all types of creeping insects. George was a devout
Christian who read a family bible, (which still survives), and practiced what he preached. He treated his convict laborers justly and did everything in his power to
make them comfortable. However, this was not an attitude observed by all his neighbors and at one point an uprising was organized by convicts who had escaped
into the woods. Naturally George was anxious lest his property come under attack, and so he built barricades, added heavy bolts to all the doors and no doubt organized
a lookout system. Then one morning a crudely written note was found on his gatepost. It bore the message that he need not worry because he had been a good employer
and treated his convicts well. George immediately removed all the barricades and unbolted the doors.
In contrast to the poverty of the convicts, George planned to build his own mansion,
Dalwood House, which covered an area of around 6,500 square feet on two floors. At one point he ran out of funds to complete it and according to family legend his
extremely rich mother sent him 10,000 gold sovereigns to finish the task. Not surprisingly the sea captain to whom the shipment was entrusted disappeared without
trace. Today Dalwood House still stands but only just, as it bears a distinct resemblance to a property that has been ravaged by a major earthquake, its walls
sloping precariously in arbitrary directions. If it is to be saved it seems likely that it will have to be demolished, new foundations built and the main building totally re
-constructed. It would be worthwhile to do so because it is a fascinating example of Australia's heritage.
The choice of the Shiraz varietal seems to have been ideal and soon George began
shipping his first wines to England and also to India. It can be no coincidence that the current flagship Wyndham Estate wine - Bin 555 - is in so much demand. This
delectable red with delicious ripe fruit is earmarked for export markets, while extensive new plantings gain some maturity.
Nobody can prove the next claim, but rumor has it that the origin of Wyndham Estate's bin numbering system dates back to the convicts. The story is told that George
Wyndham had a lot of problems with the convicts being unable to read, so he identified the various sections of his cellars with very specific bin numbers. Bin 111 is a crisp,
dry and quite full Verdelho, Bin 222 is a delightful Chardonnay, resplendent with stone fruit flavours, Bin 333 is a most impressive and underestimated Pinot Noir, Bin 444 is a
berry and currant laden Cabernet Sauvignon. There is, of course, nothing for the next number, then Bin 777 is a clean citrus-flavored Semillon, Bin 888 is a very quaffable
Cabernet Merlot and Bin 999 is 100% soft plummy Merlot. When Brett Mckinnon talks of their wines he regularly repeats the words 'softness and richness' a comment that suitably encapsulates the style.
Today Wyndham Estate is known in the international markets for those bin numbers blended under the South-Eastern Australia appellation. Brett McKinnon explains the
vast region as drawing an imaginary line from Seduna in South Australia to Rockhampton in Queensland. He points at a somewhat bizarre contraption that
resembles a cattle prod on the front of his car. 'It's not for cattle, nor kangaroos', he told me. 'It's a device to overcome Australia's struggling mobile telephone network',
emphasizing the point that he is responsible for vineyards in 4 states across an area that is larger than the British Isles. That information alone shows how deserving Brett
McKinnon and his team are of praise for the outstanding style and character of the Wyndham Estate wines. George Wyndham indeed would be very proud of his modern successors.
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Last updated on April 30, 2008