Baptista Heathcote. Baptista - Ancient VinesBaptista Governa arrived in Nagambie in the 1870’s from northern Italy and began plying his trade as a cobbler, later to become the owner of a “wine saloon”; as well as a significant businessman in the timber industry in the region stretching to Heathcote. With an interest in the “fruit of the vine” he purchased a property adjacent to Major’s Creek at Graytown and in 1891 received a bounty from the government of the day to plant vinesLocated on fertile well-drained alluvial loam soils underlain by ironstone gravels has meant that these vines have bee...

Baptista Heathcote. Baptista - Ancient VinesBaptista Governa arrived in Nagambie in the 1870’s from northern Italy and began plying his trade as a cobbler, later to become the owner of a “wine saloon”; as well as a significant businessman in the timber industry in the region stretching to Heathcote. With an interest in the “fruit of the vine” he purchased a property adjacent to Major’s Creek at Graytown and in 1891 received a bounty from the government of the day to plant vinesLocated on fertile well-drained alluvial loam soils underlain by ironstone gravels has meant that these vines have been able to flourish and produce continually since planting. With a relatively shallow water table and being on grafted vine stock ensures that even in warm dry summer conditions the vines are not at risk physiologically and continue to ripen fruit of the finest flavour and balance. Because of these benign conditions the vineyard is managed with minimal inputs with attention focused on ultimate quality.David purchased the vineyard in 1993, after sourcing fruit from the vineyard from 1988 onwards. After a period of rejuvenation the first Baptista Shiraz was bottled in 1996 – being 2 barriques of wine bottled in Magnums, which are still cellaring.