The 2024 vintage marks a significant milestone for Plantagenet Wines, celebrating fifty years since the first wines were crafted from its vineyards. The Bouverie Vineyard, founded in 1968, and the Wyjup Vineyard, planted in 1971, were among the earliest vineyards planted outside the Swan Valley, guided by the expertise of eminent academics like Professor Harold Olmo from UC Davis and Dr. John Gladstones. They advised the Department of Agriculture that Mount Barker bore a striking resemblance to the renowned red wine regions of Bordeaux. The initial trial vineyards in Mount Barker produced the 1974 vintage, which confirmed predictions of exceptional wine quality and laid the foundation for the burgeoning industry.

The inaugural vintage from Plantagenet was a 1974 cabernet sauvignon, crafted in the Swan Valley due to the absence of winemaking facilities in Mount Barker or the Great Southern. In 1975, an apple packing shed was acquired in Mount Barker, becoming the current site of Plantagenet Wines, where tanks from the Albany whaling station were repurposed for the first vintage in the region. Early plantings included cabernet sauvignon, riesling, shiraz and malbec – varieties that remain the backbone of Plantagenet’s production and symbolise the quality of the Great Southern.

Today, the Plantagenet Wines brand stands as an iconic representation of the region, with outstanding wines that showcase its true potential. Tom and Jo Wisdom, the current custodians, dedicate their efforts to preserving the traditional style that Plantagenet has become renowned for over the years, drawing from the pioneering spirit of the estate vineyards.