Westlake Vineyards

Darren and Suzanne Westlake tend 22ha of shiraz, 6.5ha of cabernet sauvignon, 2ha of viognier, and smaller plantings of petit verdot, durif, mataro, grenache and graciano planted on two properties in the Koonunga area of the Barossa Valley. They do all the vineyard work personally, and have a long list of high-profile winemakers queued up to buy the grapes, leaving only a small amount for production under the Westlake label. Suzanne is a sixth- generation descendant of Johann George Kalleske, who came to SA from Prussia in 1838; the 717 Convicts label draws on the history of Darren's ancestor Edward Westlake, who was transported to Australia in 1788. -JAMES HALLIDAY