Our Story

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Our story begins in 1946 with a family’s love of the Bellarine Peninsula and purchasing the Scotchmans Hill property in the late 70’s, to our first vintage in 1982.

  • (1946) Gorge Cornelius Browne builds a beach house at Portarlington. A young David Browne Holidays in the school break adventuring through the Bellarine region and falls in love with the area.
  • (1975-1980) David Browne and the Browne family buy an old dairy farm overlooking Port Phillip Bay. The property is named Scotchmans Hill. The family starts planning to build the main house in 1978 with building finishing in 1980.
  • (1982) The first vineyard was planted,  a Riesling block at the foot of our Barrel Hall.
  • (1988) Scotchmans Hill Chief Winemaker Robin Brockett starts working at Scotchmans Hill as a Vineyard Manager.
  • (1992-1993) Scotchmans Hill wins its first Gold Medal at the Melbourne Wine Show for the Scotchmans Hill Pinot Noir.
  • (1995-1998) Major development takes place at the winery; among the upgrades, a new crusher and grape press. The winery also expanded with the building of the tank farm and the barrel hall. (The Current foundations.)
  • (2008-2010) Scotchmans Hill grew their wine label range, adding  wines from South Australia (Henry Frost and Estella), New Zealand (Pebble Bay and Charlotte Sound) and Mornington Peninsula (Ferryman).
  • (2014) Scotchmans Hill changed ownership from the Browne Family. A board made up of local families stepped in to buy Scotchmans Hill to ensure that the winery stays locally owned.