Three generations of the one family have toiled together to create the vineyards of Oakway Estate. The property originally supported apple and stone fruit orchards before its potential for producing premium wines was realised by the present owners, Wayne and Ria Hammond, in 1997. Today the property supports the vineyard, a plantation of sustainable blue gum trees, and beef cattle.

Our vines were planted in 1997 on mostly light gravel over loam soils, and our first commercial vintage occured in 2002. Since 2003 we have consistently won awards for our wines. Our approach to vineyard management means we are constantly observing vine vigour and growth. We take pride in ourselves for using minimal chemicals, choosing to monitor insect populations and use more natural alternatives to problems like our team of “Guinea Fowls”. We undertake fruit thinning, leaf plucking, and water management to ensure intense berry flavours are achieved – good wines start in the vineyard.

Most of our grapes are grown on the cool summer slopes of the Capel River in the district of Paynedale, near Donnybrook, and we source other grapes from the Geographe and Swan Valley regions of Western Australia. We classify ourselves as a boutique winery, with limited production and a less complex outlook on the wine industry.