Not many wineries are successful in running a wines business within a decade. While there are not many examples to quote in this respect, one name stands out- The After Hours wines. The journey of this winery began in 2005 when the owners, the Mathew Family, took over the Hopeland vineyards. With a focus on improving the wine quality, the vineyard had to be reworked in 2006 with compromises being made on the yield of the produce.
After Hours wines remains focused on producing premium wines. The acreage of vineyards spreads out to more than 8.5 hectares with plantations of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and semillon varieties of grapes. Of these, cabernet sauvignon takes up most of the area. There is an annual production of 25 tonnes of fruit every year which is sufficient for making about 1500 cases of wines in a year.
The success story after reworking of the vineyards began in 2010 when the hard work of yesteryears was recognized with the award winning After Hours Chardonnay 2009 wine making waves in Australian wines sector. Thereafter, in 2012 and 2013, many other wines also won many awards. These wines were the 2010 After Hours Shiraz, 2010 After Hours Chardonnay, 2011 and 2012 After Hours Chardonnay, 9 to 5 Sauvignon Blanc of 2012 and 2013 and some others which won many awards at different wine shows.
Despite having a small vineyard, its premium quality wines have carved out a niche for themselves in Australian wines market.
