Bullers Winery

The Buller family entered the winemaking business in 1921 when the founder of the firm, Reginald Langdon Buller purchased 170 acres at Rutherglen. The property, subsequently named ‘Calliope’, had 50 acres of vines and a rather neglected cottage but no winemaking facilities.

Reg’s first vintages were made by local wineries under contract however it soon became apparent that it was more profitable to have your own winemaking facilities.

As a result Reg Buller built his own winery on the property. The exact year the winery was built is uncertain but it was in the mid 1920s. A cellar was erected, six small fermenters and two pits constructed, a crusher and two presses purchased. The fermenters are still used today.

Over the years storage capacity of the Calliope winery has expanded to accommodate the many vintages required to produce the premium aged fortifieds. To produce a consistent blend for our Rutherglen fortifieds the winemaker needs access to a great many vintages. In this way he is able to smooth out the vagaries of nature. Each vintage has its own unique qualities and this is particularly the case with grapes from our non-irrigated vines at ‘Calliope’. There is no substitute for time in maturing wine, so adequate storage facilities are an essential part of the winemaking process.

Although Andrew Buller has incorporated some modern winemaking facilities, the winery at ‘Calliope’ hasn’t change much since the 1920s. It is well suited to making small batches using traditional methods.

These unique wines are released under the ‘Calliope’ label.