In 1967, Melbourne entrepreneur Ross Shelmerdine commissioned wine industry stalwart Colin Preece to find the best site for premium wine grape growing anywhere in south eastern Australia. Preece chose an old grazing estate, then known as Blackwood Park, in the Nagambie district in central Victoria for its climate, soil and proximity to the waterways. Mitchelton has developed a reputation for consistently high quality table wines. The first trophy won in 1978, was for a Riesling, a variety Mitchelton is well respected for. In 2007, Mitchelton’s Blackwood Park Riesling celebrated 33 vintages. Mitchelton’s Shiraz wines have garnered great accolades. In a 1991 stunning double, Mitchelton won the Jimmy Watson Trophy for best dry one year old red for its 1990 Mitchelton Print Shiraz as well as winning Vineyard of the Year.