Having a “wine epiphany” has become something of a cliché, but for Lindsay McCall, it led to the creation of one of the finest wineries in Australia. The wine he tasted was a 1980 Seville Estate shiraz, which he ordered in a restaurant one night in 1983. In 1984, Lindsay, a geography teacher at the time, bought an old north-facing orchard. A year later, after clearing it, he began planting the ten-acre property with vines. He sought advice on planting shiraz in the region, but was told by a local vigneron that it wouldn’t ripen in the cool maritime climate of the Peninsula. Not to be deterred, he planted it in the warmest spot. Flash forward a few years to 1990 when Lindsay won gold for his Shiraz at the Yarra Valley Wine Show. A few years later he was able to give up his day job as a teacher and focus solely on producing outstanding wine. By the mid 90s, Paringa Estate was winning numerous awards and receiving high accolades. In 2007, Halliday awarded Paringa Estate the "Best Winery in Australia." Not bad for a bloke with no formal training. Paringa Estate’s home vineyard and winery are located in the picturesque surrounds of Red Hill South in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula wine region. The home vineyard is fully planted to 10 acres only, but production in recent years has included fruit from additional select vineyards in the region. Lindsay still heads up the winemaking but is now joined by his son, Adam, who is excited to lead Paringa Estate into the next generation.
Paringa Estate
Having a “wine epiphany” has become something of a cliché, but for Lindsay McCall, it led to the creation of one of the finest wineries in Australia. The wine he taste...
