Goona Warra Vineyard was founded in 1863 by an early Premier of the State of Victoria. The name "Goona Warra" translated from the local aboriginal dialect as "resting place of black swan", and our labels still proudly display the original black swan logo. Goona Warra should not be confused with the much larger "Coonawarra" region in South Australia where vines were first planted in the 1890's. "Coonawarra" translated from the regional aboriginal dialect as "honeysuckle". Sunbury's unique microclimate, where maritime and mountain climes converge, produces elegant cool climate table wines. Recognition of excellence has been afforded to these wines by the granting of the Geographic Indication of "Sunbury" to wines of the region. This classification carries the protection of international law. Goona Warra is a small family run estate where wines are hand made from hand picked fruit to reflect the philosophy of the owners. Our wines express the ”terroir” of this historic site and are true to our motto: Tradition - Authenticity - Integrity. Estate grown varieties include Semillon, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and the rare Cabernet Franc. Join our mailing list to ensure receipt of our periodic newsletters, new release offers and special wine events.

James Stewart Johnston, a member of the Victorian Parliament, and a prominent Melbourne businessman, originally planted vines at Craiglee in 1863. The first plantings comprised about 16 acres, made up of a number of varieties, but over time, 2 varieties proved most successful. These were shiraz and riesling. James S Johnston made wine at Craiglee for about 12 years, during which time he built a substantial bluestone winery that utilised the gravity feed system. Grapes were brought to the upper level by horse and dray, crushed, fermented on the next level and fed into barrels below. The building is constructed to take advantage of the natural slope, and nestling into the hill behind the house, it affords perfect cellaring conditions year round (that we still use today). The most notable wine of this period was the 1872 Hermitage (shiraz) which was highly awarded at International Wine shows of the time. James' son, Wilfred, continued to make wine at Craiglee until the 1920s when changing economic circumstances and public tastes forced a change of enterprise. The paddocks were turned over to fat lamb production, and the doors were closed on the winery.