We use cookies to optimize your experience, analyze traffic, and personalize content. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy. By using our site without disabling cookies, you consent to our use of them.
Celebrating 160 years of Best’s Great Western
“”We always made wines that show drinkability and reflect where we belong”“
BEN THOMSON
We have always said that Best’s has a few best-kept secrets. This year, as part of our 160th anniversary, we are sharing the story of how Best’s came to be, and it is a tale we are genuinely proud of.
It begins not in the vineyard, but in the goldfields of Victoria in the 1850s, with a young man named Henry Best who had the foresight to see that this corner of the Grampians had something very special to offer. He and his brother Joseph, who went on to found Seppelt, made an extraordinary contribution to the region, with a pioneering spirit and determination that shaped Australian wine history.
Running alongside it is the story of the Thomson family, who were quietly making their own mark in Great Western long before they became custodians of Best’s in 1920. Starting out as bakers and caterers in Melbourne, William Thomson was commissioned to cater at the 1888 Great Exhibition, the very same event where Henry Best exhibited his wines. Whether the two men ever met, we cannot say for certain, but it is a possibility that has long intrigued us.
Together, these two families helped shape what is now one of Australia’s most celebrated wine regions. The vines Henry planted by hand in 1868 are still with us today, among the oldest in the world, and still producing the wines you know and love.
WIN one of 12 x 2008 Thomson Family Shiraz Magnums!
Each month, your purchase will go into the draw to WIN a rare 2008 Thomson Family Shiraz Magnum, valued at $1,000 each!
Listed in Langton’s Classification VIII as 1st Classified, this wine is produced only in years when the quality is second to none.
Every purchase made directly with Best’s, on our website, cellar door or over the phone, to the value of $160+ will go into our monthly draws.
160 Years Poured In.
Do you have a Best’s story to share?
As we celebrate our 160 year milestone, we recognise that every bottle that has ever left Great Western has been poured into a moment that mattered to someone.
Have you got a Best’s story to share? Perhaps a visit to the cellar door, a milestone memory or the place where you first discovered Best’s.
We’d love to hear it.