Mayfield Vineyard

The Mayfield estate was originally granted to explorer William Charles Wentworth as a thank you gift from the Governor of New South Wales. The land was used for livestock until the Thomas family first planted vines in 1999. This is one of the highest vineyards in Orange, between 880-970m, which makes it well-suited to the cool climate varieties the Thomases planted: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The Eastham family bought the 91 hectares of Mayfield in 2021, and soon after brought in award-winning viticulturist Charles Simons. Simons is known for his data-driven, minimal intervention vineyard management. He says, “The ethos of the viticulturist is that the more footsteps, as opposed to tractor tracks, in the vineyard the better. Some of our premium vines will be touched by a human five to six times per year. We aim to do the right thing once, at the right time. Technology helps us achieve this.’’ In the Easthams’ first vintage, the Sophie’s Godmother Sauvignon Blanc was featured in Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines 2022, suggesting this small winery is destined for great things.