Bell & Gong

Simon and Frances Stewart planted 500 vines of pinot noir clones Pinot Fin (sic), Pommard and Abel in the cracking clay subsoils of Longford. Chardonnay and pinot gris have since been planted, too. The cellar door, opened in '17, is a moveable feast: depending on the weather it may be in the garden, at tables along the verandah or, in winter, in their country kitchen or dining room – the latter doubling as the cellar because it’s the coldest room in the house. The name comes from Simon’s time as a master mariner and the requirement for a ship setting anchor in a fog: a bell sounded rapidly for 5 seconds in the bow, then a gong sounded rapidly for 5 seconds in the stern. -JAMES HALLIDAY