The financial back-bone comes from Steve Jacobs with the work carried out by the Gallienne family. No contractors were employed with the belief that doing the job personally would accomplish a far better result.

Initial construction of the large dam and road was followed by a good solid year of removing rocks, fencing the boundary, preparing the soil, marking out what was to go where, building the shed, buying all the equipment and generally revolutionising the property.

The vines were all planted by hand. Here we are getting into it.	A few months on and the newly planted rootlings start to sprout new shoots.

In September and October 1998 the rootlings went into the ground. This was also done by hand with each vine planted individually as though planting a garden. The following 3 years were spent training the vines into shape and preparing for the first vintage.

In March 2001 we picked our first grapes successfully converting them to wine. Subsequent vintages have seen quality increases which continue to build vintage by vintage. James Halliday rated our 2001 Cabernet Merlot 93 points, our 2002 Chardonnay 94 points and Eagle Vale Estate as a 5 STAR winery and as one of the 10 best new wineries in Australia.

Next we get the basics of the trellis in the ground for support as the vines grow.	Aerial of Eagle Vale established looking west. The vines are all covered with netting during the ripening season to protect them from bird damage, ensuring quality fruit.