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Vintage 2026 demanded attention from day one and never really let up. It was a season shaped by growth, pressure and a series of calls that ultimately paid off in the glass.
DAY ONE AND EARLY MOMENTUM
Vintage started with the traditional sparkling pick. Teams from across the business worked together in the vineyard. It’s always a nice moment of connection but also a signal that the hard work is just beginning and there is no warm up. Early Chardonnay arrived quickly and required immediate focus. Decisions came early and pace built fast.
A SEASON THAT KEPT GIVING, AND DEMANDING
Strong winter and spring rainfall had driven strong canopy growth but with it came extra pressure. Disease risk stayed high and vineyard work was constant. The season stretched long from the early Chardonnay picks before the long run into Cabernet. It required stamina across both vineyard and winery. Long shifts, limited rest, and the need to stay sharp. One team member described it as being “like every day’s Monday and there are 90 in a row.” Despite the conditions, fruit quality was clear.
“The quality of the Cabernet was remarkable to be dealing with and seeing the Chardonnay juice come in was incredible. It was glowing.”
– STEVE KYME, WINEMAKER
THE DECISIONS THAT SHAPED IT
The key moments came down to judgement. None bigger than the weather call around Cyclone Narelle. Forecasts suggested significant rain. The choice was simple on paper. Pick early and protect the crop, or wait and trust the fruit. Ultimately, the team held their nerve and reaped the rewards.
“We only ended up with about 25 millimetres of rain, and I don’t think anything that sat through it suffered. If anything, some of those wines benefited from the extra hang time.”
– GLENN GOODALL, SENIOR WINEMAKER
ONE TEAM
The group was a mix of experience levels and backgrounds. Long-standing team members alongside first-time vintage hands and international workers. Everyone contributed to vintage to the benefit of not just the wine, but our people. Knowledge moved quickly. Skills built across the season. It is not just labour, it’s the biggest source of hands-on learning and development available to all in wine.
THE KEN COLLINS AWARD – A CULTURE THAT EMBRACES IMPERFECTION
The Ken Collins Award is a longrunning part of the Xanadu culture. It began more than 20 years ago with a real vintage mistake, where equipment was accidentally damaged. Instead of being buried or handled quietly, it was turned into a trophy and a story that stuck. Since then, it has come to represent how the team works. Mistakes are acknowledged, shared and worked through together. The focus is not on blame, but on how the team responds and improves. A culture where mistakes are accepted and dealt with openly, backing each other to recover rather than hide them. This year’s story came from a sulphur miscalculation on a top Chardonnay parcel by a team member early in their career. It could have been a bigger issue, but it was corrected and managed, and the wine has come through strongly. The story stays. The lesson sticks.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Sustainability remained a key focus across the season. Continual refinements meant doing the job with less impact while maintaining quality. There were gains in efficiency, including reduced diesel use across the vintage, and strong attention on inputs, timing and minimising unnecessary passes. Safety is also a huge priority because of what vintage demands of our people. There is no compromise for our team.
“We didn’t have anyone get hurt. We’re working with large equipment and people get tired, so that’s something I’m really proud of.”
– ALEX MILLER, VITICULTURIST
Alongside the season itself, the team continues to invest in longer-term work. Improving water quality is a key priority, with revegetation and land management projects underway to strengthen the system over time. Our ultimate goal is not only to dramatically improve water quality, but to also restore and strengthen the native habitat for the future.
