Meet the Vineyards and Growers Behind Aphelion Reserve Wines:

McLaren Vale’s Finest Grenache Sites

At Aphelion, our Reserve wines are not about winemaking tricks or trends. They are about place, people, and patience.

The 2024 Aphelion Reserve release draws fruit from three exceptional sites that we believe sit among the best vineyards in McLaren Vale.

Each farmed by real people, real local families (or custodians) with deep respect for land, history and vine age. These vineyards are core to our pursuit of making the best Grenache McLaren Vale can offer, which stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.

Below, we introduce the growers and vineyards that shape the soul of our Reserve wines.

Wait Family Vineyard – Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale

About the Wait Family

G’day Robyn. This is Robyn Wait, and behind the camera is her daughter Annie — the 4th and 5th generations of the Wait family now running the vineyard.

Image via @waitvineyards Instagram page

The Wait story began in 1926, when Fred and Emily Wait purchased their first parcel of land from C.B. and H.J. Manning. Fred was the local butcher, delivering meat around the district by truck, while also running mixed livestock and growing grapes. Fred and Emily are pictured here in 1955.

Image via @waitvineyards Instagram page

Fred and Emily raised two sons, Eric and Clyde. Eric became the second generation to farm the land, working alongside Fred in the butcher business before marrying Mavis (née Mills). In 1952, Eric and Mavis purchased their first vineyard, a defining moment for the family. This is Eric with their truck full of grapes. 

Image via @waitvineyards Instagram page

Eric and Mavis' son Gary became the fourth generation and is now retired.

Today, the reins have passed to Robyn, who farms the vineyard with her children - including Annie, who also happens to be a dab hand with the drone!

While the business has evolved since Fred’s butcher days, the essence remains: the Wait family still runs livestock and grows grapes with exceptional care for the land, just as they have for nearly a century.

About the Wait Vineyard

Click to view the video on Instagram

Perched on the high side of Chapel Hill Road in the heart of Blewitt Springs, the Wait vineyard is proudly SWA (Sustainable Winegrowing Australia) certified.

• North-facing and drenched in sunlight
• Completely unirrigated
• Old bush vines, dry grown

The Top Block is 81 years old, while the Grandfather Block will turn 103 years old in 2026. These ancient vines naturally restrict yield, producing fruit of structure, savouriness and quiet power - hallmarks of great Grenache and a compelling reason this site ranks among the best vineyards in McLaren Vale.

Brini Family Vineyard – Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale

About the Brini Family

Meet Marcello Brini — known as Marsh to his friends — Owner and Director of Brini Wines.

Image via @brini.wines Instagram page

Born and raised on the vineyard, Marcello proudly carries on the legacy of his father, Sebastiano Brini, who arrived in McLaren Vale from Italy in 1950 with little more than a suitcase, five pounds, and a passion for growing grapes.

By 1953, Sebastiano had saved enough to purchase a property in Blewitt Springs. Two-thirds of the land ran dairy cows, while the remaining third held established vines — Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro — planted in the late 1940s as part of a soldier settlement scheme.

Over time, the Brini family progressively planted more vines, transitioning the property fully to viticulture. Today, varieties include Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, Merlot and Chenin Blanc, with plantings dating from the 1940s, 1960s and late 1990s.

In 1988, Sebastiano tragically passed away following a tractor accident.

Sons Marcello and John continued managing the vineyard. 

Image via @brini.wines Instagram page

Now the vineyard is nurtured by Marsh and his two sons Sebastian and Christian.

Image via @brini.wines Instagram page

 Everything they do is with the passion to produce outstanding fruit. We think they are doing a brilliant job of it. 

About the Brini Vineyard

Located on the south side of Chapel Hill Road, the Brini vineyard slopes gently downhill, south-facing, with sweeping views across the Mt Lofty Ranges and McLaren Vale Wine Region.

• Old bush vine Grenache: 82 years old (2026)
• Chenin Blanc: 52 years old (2026)
• Extensive hand farming: rock removal, hand weeding, hand picking

This careful, labour-intensive approach in the vineyard mirrors our philosophy in the winery - minimal intervention, maximum respect. It’s why wines from this site consistently deliver texture, energy and site expression, reinforcing its place among the best Grenache vineyards in McLaren Vale.

Hickinbotham Vineyard – Clarendon, McLaren Vale

About Hickinbotham

Hickinbotham Vineyard of Clarendon is owned by Jackson Family Estates and is the sister site to Yangarra.

The first dry-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vines were planted in 1971 by Alan David Hickinbotham, son of Australia’s first wine science lecturer.

It remained under Hickinbotham family ownership for more than 40 years.

Hickinbotham vineyard was purchased by the Jackson family in 2012. 

Jess Stonestreet Jackson, Jr. began what has become Jackson Family Estates when he bought an aging orchard in Lake County to which he planted chardonnay grapes (1974). Jess Jackson and his two daughters, Jenny and Laura, begin to hand-sell the resulting wines across the USA in 1982. It grew rapidly from there, witht he family purchasing more vineyards in the USA in the late 80's and then internationally from the 90's. Jess Stonestreet Jackson, Jr. passed away on April 21, 2011.

The children and grandchildren of Jess Jackson Jr. now take their place in the company's leadership.

About the Vineyard

Hickinbotham Vineyard spans 186 hectares of rolling hills at high elevation in Clarendon, on the northern edge of McLaren Vale. Of this, 85 hectares are under vine.

Cooling breezes funnel through from the hills above and the coast below, building aromatics and slowly developing deep flavour. This cooler climate produces wines characterised by spice, elegance and balance.

The vineyard has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2019.

Why These Families & Vineyards Matter

Great Grenache is grown, then made.

These vineyards - among the best vineyards McLaren Vale has to offer - provide the depth, energy and authenticity that define the Aphelion Reserve wines.

If you’re searching for the best Grenache McLaren Vale can produce, it begins here: old vines, thoughtful farming, and people who care deeply about the land.

Aphelion's 2024 Reserve wines are released in limited quantities.

Wine Club members receive first access, followed by email subscribers 24 hours before general release.