Tahbilk has announced a new member of its estate ‘family’.
Australian wine royalty James Halliday was honoured with a cellar on the historic estate, which was unveiled in his name on Monday, February 13.
The James Halliday Cellar pays homage to one of the most esteemed wine writers in the world.
Mr Halliday attended the ceremony which unveiled the cellar plaque, followed by a lunch with industry leaders.
Having written and co-authored more than 40 books, Mr Halliday is the creator of the Halliday Wine Companion and its associated rating system which has become Australia’s most comprehensive wine resource.
His annual Top 100 Wines, published in the Weekend Australian, has become a fixture on the wine calendar.
Mr Halliday described the history of the Tahbilk vineyard as “absolutely priceless”.
The 1860 vine stock is the third oldest in the world, but they are the only vines in the world which have not been replenished with new vines as the older vines die off.
Tahbilk board member Alister Purbrick said his family felt that naming a building after Mr Halliday was a token of gratitude for his support of the wine industry and Tahbilk.
Mr Halliday has been a close friend of the Purbrick family since the 1970s and Mr Purbrick said he was an “unofficial mentor”.
“It’s amazing what you can learn by observing,” Mr Purbrick said.
“In keeping with our estate tradition, we believe that naming a cellar for James provides lasting recognition of his enormous contribution to the wine landscape in Australia and beyond.”