Hanging Rock Winery

What Hanging Rock Winery does

Hanging Rock Winery is a family-owned Australian winery founded in 1983 by John Ellis OAM and Ann Ellis, operating from a 190-acre estate at 88 Jim Road, Newham, in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria — the coldest mainland grape-growing region in Australia at 650 meters elevation. The winery produces a portfolio of 20+ wines including traditional-method sparkling wines (Macedon Brut Cuvée, Brut Rosé, and the Macedon LD aged 15 years on lees — the oldest Australian sparkling on the market), estate-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Shiraz from both Macedon Ranges and the Cambrian-soil vineyards in Heathcote. Technical differentiation is grounded in the family's Solera barrel system dating to 1987, hand disgorgement for aged sparkling wines, organic vineyard practices, and a 90kW solar system supplying ~85% of power needs.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model anchored by the cellar door (open 7 days a week), an online wine shop shipping Australia-wide via Australia Post, and a free Wine Club membership offering 25% discounts, free freight, pre-release access, and exclusive events. Revenue is diversified across wine sales ($18-$90 per bottle), private functions and group tastings ($30/person), event-driven sales (Art in the Vines sculpture exhibition, Budburst, Long Lunch, Bastille Day), and an estate-grown Speckle Park beef business with beef box home delivery and smallgoods partnerships. The winery targets wine enthusiasts, tourists, families, group/corporate function bookers, Wine Club members, and food connoisseurs — all within the domestic Australian market only, as international online orders are not accepted.

The winery remains under family ownership with the founders' children, Ruth Ellis (General Manager Sales & Marketing) and Robert Ellis (Chief Winemaker), now leading day-to-day operations after a formal succession in 2023. The company has won multiple trophies at the Daylesford, Heathcote, Melbourne Royal, National Wine Show, Ballarat, Rutherglen, and International Cool Climate Wine Shows, and was listed in The Real Review Top Australian Wineries 2024. Plans are in place to plant an additional 10,000 vines over the next five years to expand production capacity from the existing 20-acre vineyard.

Name

Hanging Rock Winery

Legal name

Hanging Rock Winery Pty Ltd

Website

https://hangingrock.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hanging Rock Winery is a family-owned Australian winery founded in 1983 in the Macedon Ranges, Victoria, producing traditional-method sparkling wines and cool-climate varietals via cellar door, online shop, Wine Club, events, and an estate-grown Speckle Park beef business targeting domestic wine enthusiasts, tourists, and group function bookers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Winery

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Cool climate wines
• Traditional method sparkling
• Estate grown wines
• Wine tourism experiences
• Cellar door sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Newham

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales: Direct sales of wines ranging from $18 to $90 per bottle through cellar door and online shop. Includes flagship Heathcote Shiraz at $90, Macedon sparkling wines at $50-75, and entry-level ROCK wines at $18. Wine Club members receive 25% discount year-round with free freight.
2. Wine Club Membership: Free membership program offering 25% discount on wine purchases, free Australia-wide freight, pre-release offers, access to limited-release wines, exclusive events, and complimentary glasses at winery visits.
3. Functions and Events: Private wine tastings and group bookings at $30 per person; special events including Long Lunch, Bastille Day celebrations, wine dinners, and Art in the Vines launch events with ticket sales.
4. Hanging Rock Beef: Estate-grown Speckle Park beef sold through cellar door and beef box home delivery service. Includes gourmet beef pies and sausage rolls in partnership with Monsieur Pierre in Kyneton, and Bresaola, Pastirma, Pastrami with Bologna Smallgoods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hanging Rock Winery is a family-owned winery that produces and sells premium cool-climate wines from the Macedon Ranges and Heathcote regions in Victoria, Australia. Its product range spans traditional-method sparkling wines (Macedon Brut Cuvée, Macedon Brut Rosé), Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Shiraz, alongside estate-grown Speckle Park beef products. The winery distributes directly to consumers through its cellar door, online wine shop, free Wine Club membership, private functions, and the annual Art in the Vines sculpture exhibition.

Product overview

Hanging Rock Winery is a family-owned winery established in 1983 in the Macedon Ranges, Victoria. The product portfolio centers on a diverse range of wines including sparkling wines (Macedon Brut Cuvée, Macedon Brut Rosé), Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Shiraz from both Macedon Ranges and Heathcote regions. The wines are sold under multiple sub-brands including Jim Jim (premium estate wines from 750m elevation), Cambrian Rise (Heathcote Shiraz), Heritage (Kindred Riesling), and ROCK (accessible varietals). The winery operates a free Wine Club membership providing discounts and exclusive access, offers private tasting experiences and functions, hosts the annual Art in the Vines sculpture exhibition, and diversifies into Speckle Park cattle breeding and estate-grown beef products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Speckle Park Stud & Beef: Purebred Speckle Park cattle breeding, genetics services, livestock transport, and fitting services. Started in 2011 as a hobby farm and grown into an influential cattle business.
• Hanging Rock Beef

Products and services

• Heathcote Shiraz 2019 Flagship red wine from Heathcote region featuring concentrated dark fruits and earthy spice notes with gentle lingering tannins; sold at $90 per bottle.
• Macedon Brut Cuvée XXII NV Estate sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, aged approximately 3.5 years on yeast lees with minimal liqueuring; sold at $75 per bottle.
• Jim Jim Pinot Noir 2024 Estate Pinot Noir from the Jim Jim property, wild fermented in open fermenters with balanced structure for long aging potential; sold at $65 per bottle.
• Jim Jim Chardonnay 2025 Estate grown Chardonnay, whole bunch crushed and fermented in French oak barrels for 9 months with monthly lees stirring; sold at $55 per bottle. Awarded Gold Medal and Top Rated Victorian Chardonnay (95/100) by The Real Review.
• Macedon Brut Rosé NV Estate sparkling rosé aged minimum 24 months on lees, with Pinot Noir added at dosage for salmon pink color; sold at $50 per bottle.
• Cambrian Rise Heathcote Shiraz 2022 Heathcote Shiraz from warm and dry 2022 vintage, aged with minimal new oak for structure and aging potential; sold at $45 per bottle.
• Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2025 Fruit-driven Pinot Noir from warmer 2025 vintage with lush structure and length; sold at $45 per bottle.
• Jim Jim Sauvignon Blanc Fumè 2024 Sauvignon Blanc from 750m elevation Jim Jim property, celebrating the 40th vintage; sold at $35 per bottle.
• The Jim Jim Three 2025 White blend of Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling from cool climate Jim Jim vineyard; sold at $35 per bottle. Awarded Best Wine of Show, Public Choice, and Best Other White at the 2024 Daylesford Wine Show.
• Kindred Riesling 2025 Heritage Riesling from late 1970s vineyard with smooth texture and acid backbone; sold at $30 per bottle.
• Groundbreaker Shiraz 2021 Rich and generous Shiraz matured in French and American oak for 12 months.
• ROCK Cabernet Malbec 2021 Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the Heathcote region; entry-level ROCK range sold at $18 per bottle.
• Wine Club Membership Free membership program offering 25% off wine purchases year-round, free Australia-wide freight, pre-release offers, access to limited-release wines, exclusive member events (dinners, tastings, workshops, yoga, hikes), and complimentary glasses for member and partner at winery visits.
• Private Wine Tastings & Functions Group bookings and private tasting experiences for groups of 15+ in an all-weather marquee overlooking the vineyard; wine tasting and platter or glass of wine and platter priced at $30 per person. Also hosts the annual Long Lunch, Bastille Day celebrations, wine dinners, and Art in the Vines launch events with ticket sales.
• Art in the Vines

Quantifiable outcome

• Macedon LD - oldest Australian sparkling wine at 15 years on yeast lees
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Malcolm ThomsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Malcolm Thomson has served as Exhibition Curator for Art in the Vines sculpture exhibition since its inception in 2018. He brings extensive experience in arts curation including Sculpture on the Map, South Lawn Sculpture Exhibition, and Victorian Contemporary Sculpture exhibitions. The partnership has delivered five successful exhibitions featuring 26+ national and local artists.
• BlazeAidminorOthersHanging Rock Winery donates a portion of profits to BlazeAid, a volunteer organization that helps communities recover after natural disasters. This represents the winery's commitment to local community support and giving back.
• Monsieur Pierre (Kyneton)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMonsieur Pierre in Kyneton produces gourmet Hanging Rock Beef pies and sausage rolls, available for purchase at cellar door and events.
• Bologna SmallgoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBologna Smallgoods creates Hanging Rock Beef Bresaola, Pastirma, and Pastrami products, expanding the beef product range beyond fresh cuts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crittenden Estate: Family-owned Mornington Peninsula winery pioneering cool-climate wines in Australia (including early Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), with cellar door and a focus on premium varietals. Similar in heritage, family ownership, and cool-climate premium positioning to Hanging Rock.
• Mount Langi Ghiran: Cool-climate Victorian winery renowned for premium Shiraz and other varietals, family-owned with cellar door. Comparable in cool-climate Victorian positioning, premium Shiraz focus (vs Hanging Rock's Heathcote program), and DTC model.
• Domaine Chandon Australia: Cool-climate Yarra Valley sparkling specialist (part of LVMH's Moët & Chandon) producing traditional-method sparkling wines with cellar door tourism. Most directly comparable as a cool-climate sparkling producer with strong tourism-driven DTC channels.
• Curly Flat: Small Macedon Ranges winery specializing in cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The most direct geographic peer to Hanging Rock, sharing the same cold-climate region and premium boutique positioning.
• Yabby Lake Vineyard: Cool-climate Mornington Peninsula winery producing premium Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines with a strong cellar door and wine club model. Directly comparable to Hanging Rock in varietal mix, premium positioning, and DTC emphasis.
• Port Phillip Estate: Premium Mornington Peninsula winery combining cool-climate viticulture with cellar door, restaurant and tourism experience. Similar premium DTC, tourism-driven model to Hanging Rock, though slightly larger scale.
• Ten Minutes by Tractor: A premium family-owned winery on the Mornington Peninsula producing cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wines, with cellar door and DTC focus. Closely comparable to Hanging Rock in scale, climate positioning, premium DTC business model, and award-driven brand-building.

Broad incumbents

• Seppeltsfield: Historic Barossa Valley winery combining premium wine production with tourism, cellar door and heritage experiences. Comparable broad incumbent for combining premium wine, destination tourism, and multi-generational brand equity at larger scale.
• Penfolds: Australia's most iconic premium wine brand (Treasury Wine Estates), producing multi-region premium wines including Shiraz. Broad incumbent benchmark for Australian premium pricing power and trophy-winning pedigree that Hanging Rock's award profile is benchmarked against.
• Tyrrell's Wines: Historic, family-owned Hunter Valley winery and one of Australia's most awarded producers. Founder John Ellis previously worked at Tisdall's alongside the Tyrrell family tradition; Tyrrell's serves as a broad incumbent reference point for multi-generational Australian premium wine operations at greater scale than Hanging Rock.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HangingRockWinery
• Instagraminstagram.com/hangingrockwinery
• Xx.com/hangingrock

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hanging Rock Winery