STONIER IS NOW BACK IN LOCAL FAMILY OWNERSHIP
Stonier is now back in local family ownership for the first time since the Stonier family sold the winery in 1999. Three local families; Drummond, McLeod & Thickins acquired the winery, vineyard, and brand in December 2022.
“Growing up on the Peninsula, I always looked at Stonier as the benchmark fine wine producer. Brian had a very clear ambition to put Mornington Peninsula fine wine on the global stage…and he achieved that before he sold out I the late 1990’s. In 1999 Decanter awarded the Stonier 1997 Reserve Pinot Noir. Best New World Red Wine of the Year. This award was followed by the 2001 International Wine Challenge in London where Stonier won the Trophy for Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of Show for its 1999 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay. As Andrew Caillard MW wrote in his book The Essence of Dreams “this was a coming of age for Peninsula Wine”.
It is our ambition to continue on that tradition and cement Stonier as a leading and relevant Global fine wine brand. We have some of the oldest and best vineyards on the Peninsula, a pedigree for great wine, and the people with a combined experience of quality farming, great winemaking and building world class wine businesses.
We hope that you will continue to support us for what is really the next chapter in Stonier’s amazing pioneering history”.
Cheers - Aaron Drummond
“When the 1999 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay won London’s International Wine Challenge in 2001 it felt like a coming of age for the region”
Andrew Caillard MW
OUR HISTORY
Brian Stonier founded Stonier in 1978 and in doing so, became one of the pioneer vignerons on the Mornington Peninsula.
Brian’s ambition was to put Mornington Peninsula fine wine on the world stage, and in the late 1990’s the world began to take notice. In 1999 Decanter awarded the Stonier 1997 Reserve Pinot Noir. Best New World Red Wine of the Year. This award was followed by the 2001 International Wine Challenge in London where Stonier won the Trophy for Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of Show for its 1999 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay.
Stonier’s focus on Single Vineyard Wines began to gain momentum at the turn of the new decade with the release of its 2000 KBS Vineyard Chardonnay. In 1991, Stonier’s new winery and cellar door were completed, designed by renowned Melbourne architect Daryl Jackson. The building was officially opened by then Governor of Victoria, Dr Davis McCaughey.
OUR PEOPLE
Aaron Drummond
CO-OWNER / CEO
Aaron Drummond
CO-OWNER / CEOAaron grew up on the Mornington Peninsula. His foray into wine started in the early 2000’s when he started leasing a disused vineyard at a friends farm. From there it was a combination of building his own family wine businesses (Fallen Giants & Circe) and working across leading fine wine producers, initially Mount Langi Ghiran, and later Yering Station & Xanadu. In 2015 Aaron left for NZ to take up the GM role at iconic New Zealand Winery, Craggy Range. After 8 years in Hawke’s Bay, the opportunity to come home and be part of the next chapter of Stonier was too amazing to pass up.
Aside from Stonier, Aaron sits on the Board of Craggy Range and Brick Lane Brewing.
Rebecca Drummond
CO-OWNER / CFO
Rebecca Drummond
CO-OWNER / CFORebecca has a finance background and after 10 years in Investment Banking around the world decided working with her brother Aaron in the Vineyard was far more fun…she may have been slightly dillusional! However 10 years later Rebecca is still running her Grampians vineyard and working with her Brother at Stonier overseeing the Finance function.
Justin Purser
CHIEF WINEMAKER
Justin Purser
CHIEF WINEMAKERJustin Purser has joined us as Chief Winemaker in 2022, being only the 5th Winemaker in 45 years. Previously Chief Winemaker at Best’s Great Western for 10 years, Justin’s cool climate pedigree and passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay further stems from 3 years spent at Domaine de Montille in Volnay, Burgundy.
Tim Brown
VITICULTURIST
Tim Brown
VITICULTURISTTim began his viticulture career in 1990 at the pioneering iconic cool climate vineyard, Virgin Hills in the Macedon Ranges and continued over the next 15 seasons working with other producers in Macedon region and cool climate regions beyond, including Helm and Lark Hill in Canberra and Rochford in the Yarra valley, before joining Bindi as their first viticultural consultant.
“My Viticulture consultancy has given me the opportunity to travel, visit and work with many great new and established producers in diverse wine regions throughout Europe Australia and New Zealand. Much of this work has been in planning, establishment and management of new High-Density vineyards (planted five times more density than conventional) and farmed free of herbicides using only organic inputs”
Stonier is primarily where Tim spends his time since our change of ownership in late 2022. “It is a privilege to be able to work with such well-regarded mature vineyards and help drive an uplift in quality and productivity as we introduce best practice organic farming principals”.
Paula Ercole
CELLAR DOOR & EVENTS MANAGER
Paula Ercole
CELLAR DOOR & EVENTS MANAGERPaula has a lot of experience in large scale events around food and wine. Her passion for the business and people is infectious as she manages the cellar door, collaborations with others in our community, and events at our cellar door!
Lucinda Koch
CELLAR DOOR / WINE CLUB
Lucinda Koch
CELLAR DOOR / WINE CLUBWith a love of all things food, wine and the great outdoors, Lucinda will be looking after our new KBS Wine Club members, as well as our online presence and working in cellar door.
Selena Potter
CELLAR DOOR
Selena Potter
CELLAR DOORAndrea Walker
CELLAR HAND
Andrea Walker
CELLAR HANDJosh Martin
VINEYARD MANAGER
Josh Martin
VINEYARD MANAGERDuncan Buchanan
WINEMAKER
Duncan Buchanan
WINEMAKERSophie Flanagan
VINEYARD MANAGER
Sophie Flanagan
VINEYARD MANAGERSophie has completed multiple vintages on the Peninsula & Macedon Ranges whilst working in the Winery, Vineyards and Cellar Door at Stonier and is currently undertaking part time studies at Charles Sturt University.
She lives by the motto:
‘A day without wine, is like a day without sunshine.’
Sophie brings a strong understanding of business management and hospitality having owned a bustling Melbourne Cafe with her sister for 7 years.
On her days off she can be found with her family and friends, entertaining and indulging in great food & wine.
Nicole Griggs
ADMINISTRATION
Nicole Griggs
ADMINISTRATIONNicole is our longest standing staff member, having started 22 years ago when Brian Stonier was at the helm. Nicole is a source of knowledge for many of the staff, and is passionate about the Stonier business, with her daughter Imogen also involved in the vineyard.
Len Wakelin
MACHINERY OPERATOR
Len Wakelin
MACHINERY OPERATOROUR VINEYARDS
Stonier’s Mornington Peninsula vineyards are the foundation of our winemaking practice. Our wines showcase the premium quality and character of the fruit cultivated in our pristine cool maritime climate. The vineyards are guided to produce the best possible fruit from their given site within their natural constraints. Stonier’s vineyard portfolio boasts some of the region’s oldest vineyards, each one contributing nuances from within the different sub-regions of the peninsula.