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"Avani is an ancient Sanskrit word that means ‘the earth’.

Planted in 1987 on gentle north facing slopes in Red Hill South on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, our 4 hectare non-irrigated and low cropped vineyard is focussed on producing only cool-climate shiraz (syrah).

We employ biodynamic practices which enable us to focus on soil health, the protection of indigenous microbes and creating an environment of ecological self-sufficiency. Our winemaking approach is one of minimal interference; using wild yeast fermentation with no fining, filtration or pumping, creating a wine unique to our vineyard."

Shashi and her husband Devendra have been involved in the hospitality industry (owning and operating restaurants) on the Mornington Peninsula for the last 30 years. It was during this time that Shashi’s interest in wine was first sparked culminated with the purchase of an established vineyard in 1998.

Shashi having a grounding in Chemistry (having completed her Masters in Chemistry from MDU University in 1981) further completed a double degree in Viticulture & Oenology from Charles Stuart University.

In 2000, Shashi and Devendra collaborated with Phillip Jones of Bass Phillip Wines to make wines under the Wildcroft banner. However, it was in 2004 that Shashi began her wine-making apprenticeship working part time at the Bass Phillip winery (and full time during vintage). Over the next 8 years Shashi garnered significant winemaking experience as her role in the winery increased. This was an extremely busy period for Shashi as whilst working part time at Bass Phillip, she was also managing the viticulture at her own property.

The 2009 vintage was Shashi’s breakout year. It was the first vintage Shashi completed by herself under Phillip’s watchful eye at the Leongatha winery. It was in January 2012 that Shashi finally established her own winey at Red Hill South, with the 2012 vintage being the inaugural vintage on the property.

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New Winemaker - Matt Campbell For those who remember tasting previous vintages of the 'Lost Plot wines', you may remember the esteemed winemaker Paul Old (of Les Clos Perdus) who was based in Corbieres, France.

Paul was very pleased to come every year to do a vintage in his motherland and had a great knowledge and connection with the growers he was delighted to work with.

Since 2019, Paul decided to focus on his work in Roussillon and passed the baton to the talented and very capable hands of Matt Campbell (Mattara Wines & Crittenden) who continues a tradition of gentle handling and minimal 'mucking around' to produce beautiful, small batch wines that truly reflect their sense of place.

The result is impressive and Matt has managed to put his own signature on his first vintage, capturing the essence of every terroir where the fruits were sourced. Especially for the challenging 2019 vintage in Victoria that was beset with extremely warm and dry conditions, Matt has created wines that are savoury and textural yet retain a lot of fresh acidity which make them very enjoyable.

He definitely maintains the sense of style behind the label and the European sensibility implemented initially by Paul Old. The wines are not overly fruity, still showing a lot of primary fruit notes and some varietal characters. He has worked closely with the Shelmerdine vineyards in the Heathcote region for the SGM Red and partly for the Mourvedre rose, and with Sarah Gough of Boxgrove vineyard in Nagambie for the Roussanne and a bit of Mourvedre.