Thomas New England Estate

John Henry Thomas, great-grandfather of the present owners of the property arrived in the New England area in 1860, and made the first beer in 1870; the old brewery still stands in Brewery Street, Inverell. Ross and wife Rae Thomas inherited a mixed farming property of over 1200 ha, and in 1996 (after decades of ownership) decided to diversify by planting a vineyard. The first plantings were of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz, with durif, tannat and viognier following. The future of the family tradition is assured, with daughter Leigh and granddaughter Anita Johnson involved as sales and marketing manager. -JAMES HALLIDAY