Cornella Ridge Estate (aka The Shiraz Republic) Do you know what a ripe bunch of shiraz grapes looks like? Although wine is the most imbibed beverage in the world (after tea), most have never experienced the flavour of a full bodied Heathcote shiraz, made using traditional open vats and minimal intervention from the winemaker. It is our goal to open the road to this rich experience. Our own wine is full bodied, low intervention wine because it's simply better tasting and much more diverse in its range of subtle flavours than the over finessed, over watered wine you will find in most large scale commercial wines. And enjoying it is as easy as opening the bottle.

But we are also committed to supporting wine lovers to make their own wine. To be as involved in the process as they wish. Sometimes this is simply supplying quality fruit delivered to their door, ready for their home wine making. For some it means being able to come to the vineyard with the family and pick the grapes themselves. For others we supply bulk wine just pressed from its first ferment in barrels or demijohns, ready to be nursed through to completion.
The Vineyard
Cornella Ridge Estate is located in the heart of the Heathcote region on red Cambrian volcanic soils. The ancient soils produce extraordinary Shiraz. The slopes are gentle, well drained and frost-free.
We strongly subscribe to the idea that good wine begins in the vineyard. Low yields, fastidious vineyard practices, mulching, vertical shoot positioning, no insecticides, absolutely minimum use of herbicide. These things let the vines and the soil produce wonderful intensely flavoured grapes.
There are three different clones of Shiraz in the 8 hectares under vine in the Shiraz Republic. In selecting the clones used we looked for variety, low yield and drought tolerance.
The Wine
Traditional hands-on wine making methods are used at every stage of the process of making the wine. Low yields, handpicked, and hand plunged fruit in open fermenting vats allow the intense colours and flavour of the fruit to speak for itself. Minimal intervention in the natural processes allows good fruit to become fine wine.
Produced in ridiculously small volumes, our wine is the product of a single vineyard and a simple philosophy. No pretence, just damn fine wine.
Visit us
The cellar door is open on weekends from 11.00am to 6.00pm. or by appointment.
The vineyard is at 1515 Rochester Heathcote Road, Cornella; north of Heathcote.