I've heard it said many times: Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir is the Pinot the Yarra winemakers drink. This pioneering vineyard of the Upper Yarra is also home to arguably Australia's finest expressions of Sauvignon Blanc. One of the nation's finest bottles of grower fizz comes from here, too, and the Chardonnay is pretty sublime. Yet Gembrook Hill is one of the most—to use the parlance of the day—IYKYK estates going.

The story of its birth as the pipe dream of a Melbourne CBD dentist through its emergence as an Aussie domaine par excellence is an engrossing one, and can't help but include many brilliant people, not least founders Ian and June Marks. The wanderings and creative trailblazings of their son, Andrew, is a saga in itself—and it's hugely refreshing to hear about the depths of creativity and thoughtful friendship that go into painting a bright future for a homegrown gem like this.