Stonier Wines

Brian Stonier established Stonier Wines (originally trading as Stonier's Winery) in 1978 as one of the very first commercial wineries on the modern Mornington Peninsula. Brian, a former publisher and Melbourne resident, had identified the southern peninsula at Merricks as the ideal site for a cool-climate Burgundian-style estate after the early pioneer work of Baillieu Myer at Elgee Park (1972) and Nat and Rosalie White at Main Ridge Estate (1975). Brian planted the estate's first Chardonnay vines in 1978, on the elevated russet-red volcanic soils above the Western Port coast, and added Pinot Noir plantings in 1982. The first commercial Pinot Noir vintage was released in 1986, by which time the Stonier estate was emerging as one of the most ambitious cool-climate operations on the peninsula. Brian Stonier and his family operated the estate through its first two decades, building the Stonier name into a recognised quality benchmark. The cellar door and winery building, designed by renowned Melbourne architect Daryl Jackson, was completed in 1991 and remains in continuous use today. The Stonier family sold the business in the late 1990s after Brian's retirement from active management, and the estate began a two-decade journey through successive corporate owners before returning to independent local family hands in December 2022.

• 1978: Brian Stonier (former Melbourne publisher) founded Stonier's Winery at Merricks on the southern Mornington Peninsula
• First Chardonnay planted 1978, Pinot Noir 1982, first commercial Pinot vintage 1986
• Cellar door and winery building designed by Melbourne architect Daryl Jackson, completed 1991
• Stonier family sold the business in the late 1990s after Brian's retirement; began a two-decade journey through corporate owners

Stonier's estate vineyards sit at Merricks on the southern edge of the Mornington Peninsula, in the elevated subzone that includes Red Hill and Main Ridge. The estate's home blocks rise to 200-250 metres elevation on russet-red volcanic soils derived from the extinct volcanic centre of Mount Eliza. The maritime climate is cool by Australian standards, with a mean January temperature of 19.4 degrees Celsius and the universal Mornington Peninsula condition that no vineyard site sits more than 7 kilometres from the ocean. Bass Strait lies to the south, Port Phillip Bay to the west, and Western Port Bay to the east, with the triple maritime exposure delivering a long, slow, cool growing season that preserves natural acidity and enables phenolic maturity. The russet-red volcanic soils at Merricks have a distinctive deep red colour, friable structure, and excellent drainage; combined with the elevation and maritime moderation, they produce some of the most structured cool-climate Pinot Noir on the peninsula. Beyond the estate home blocks, Stonier sources from a wider portfolio of yellow and brown soils over friable well-drained clay across the broader Mornington holdings, with each site contributing distinct expressions to the multi-vineyard release lineup.

• Estate vineyards at Merricks on the southern Mornington Peninsula at 200-250 metres elevation on russet-red volcanic soils derived from extinct Mount Eliza
• Mean January temperature of 19.4 degrees Celsius; no vineyard more than 7 km from the ocean (Bass Strait, Port Phillip Bay, Western Port)
• Russet-red volcanic soils have distinctive deep red colour, friable structure, and excellent drainage; ideal for structured cool-climate Pinot Noir
• Broader portfolio sources from yellow and brown soils over friable well-drained clay across multiple sites; each contributes distinct expressions

Stonier's international recognition came rapidly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, establishing the estate as one of the Mornington Peninsula's leading cool-climate producers on the global stage. In 1999, Decanter magazine awarded the 1997 Reserve Pinot Noir the title of Best New World Red Wine of the Year, a significant recognition for an Australian Pinot Noir during an era when the variety was still emerging on the international stage. In 2001, the 1999 Reserve Chardonnay won the Trophy for Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of Show at the International Wine Challenge in London, one of the world's most prestigious wine competitions. These twin recognitions cemented Stonier's position among the world's leading cool-climate producers and gave the broader Mornington Peninsula region a high-profile international ambassador. The estate also founded the Stonier International Pinot Noir Tasting (SIPNOT) in 2000, an annual industry event that brought leading domestic and international Pinot Noir producers together for blind comparative tasting and discussion. SIPNOT continued through the 2000s and 2010s under successive corporate owners and helped establish the Mornington Peninsula as a serious international Pinot Noir region.

• 1997 Reserve Pinot Noir named Best New World Red Wine of the Year by Decanter in 1999
• 1999 Reserve Chardonnay won Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of Show at the 2001 International Wine Challenge in London
• Twin recognitions cemented Stonier among the world's leading cool-climate producers and gave Mornington Peninsula a high-profile international ambassador
• Founded SIPNOT (Stonier International Pinot Noir Tasting) in 2000; annual industry event bringing leading Pinot Noir producers together for comparative tasting

After the Stonier family sold the business in the late 1990s, the estate entered a twenty-plus-year period of successive corporate ownership that saw it pass through some of the largest names in Australian and global wine. The estate was first acquired by Petaluma under Brian Croser's leadership, then passed to Lion Nathan when Lion purchased Petaluma in 2001, then to Japanese brewing giant Kirin when Kirin acquired Lion Nathan in 2009, and finally to Accolade Wines (one of Australia's largest wine companies) in subsequent ownership transitions. While the wines maintained reasonable quality under corporate stewardship, the estate's distinctive character and pioneering identity were inevitably affected by the multinational ownership chain. In December 2022, three local Mornington Peninsula families (the Drummonds, the McLeods, and the Thickins) jointly purchased Stonier from Accolade through their newly formed vehicle Circe Wines. The acquisition returned the estate to independent local family ownership after more than two decades of corporate stewardship. In 2024, Julian Grounds, former chief winemaker at New Zealand's Craggy Range and one of the most respected cool-climate winemakers in the broader Australasian wine community, joined Stonier as chief winemaker and co-owner. The Circe Wines purchase and the Grounds appointment have positioned the estate for a new chapter of independent boutique winemaking focused on terroir-driven expression and renewed cellar door investment.

• Late 1990s: Stonier family sold business; subsequent ownership through Petaluma, Lion Nathan (2001), Kirin (2009), and Accolade Wines
• December 2022: returned to independent local family ownership via Circe Wines (Drummond, McLeod, and Thickins families jointly)
• 2024: Julian Grounds (former Craggy Range New Zealand chief winemaker) joined as chief winemaker and co-owner
• Circe Wines purchase and Grounds appointment positioned the estate for a new chapter of independent boutique winemaking

Stonier's portfolio is structured around three tiers, with single-vineyard releases at the apex. The Mornington Peninsula tier represents the foundational expression and includes Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir and Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay, sourced across the estate's broader holdings. The Reserve tier elevates the foundation expression with a more selective parcel approach and was the source of the historic Decanter and IWC Best New World awards in 1999 and 2001. The Single Vineyard tier, introduced in 2000, comprises single-vineyard releases from named individual blocks. The KBS Vineyard release is the flagship: KBS stands for Kenneth Brian Stonier, the estate's founder, and the wine is sourced from a single estate block at Merricks. Other named single-vineyard sites include Windmill, Stonier Family, Lyncroft, and Evie, each contributing distinct expressions across the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay programs. The portfolio also includes small parcels of Pinot Gris and cool-climate Shiraz that demonstrate the peninsula's lesser-known specialties in these varieties. Under Julian Grounds' winemaking direction since 2024, the estate has continued its commitment to organic conversion and sustainable viticulture across the vineyard holdings, with progressive movement toward formal certification.

• Three tiers: Mornington Peninsula (foundational), Reserve (selective parcel approach, source of historic Decanter and IWC awards), Single Vineyard (named single blocks)
• KBS Vineyard release is the flagship; KBS stands for Kenneth Brian Stonier, the estate's founder; introduced 2000 from single estate block at Merricks
• Named single-vineyard sites: KBS, Windmill, Stonier Family, Lyncroft, Evie; each contributes distinct expressions across Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Organic conversion and sustainable viticulture across the estate; progressive movement toward formal certification under Julian Grounds since 2024