Aquila Wines was established in 1992, with the first wines on the shelves in 1993. The winery is owned and operated by the Washer family - headed by local medico and now Federal Member, Dr Mal Washer.

The family decided to build the wine making operation on their property in nearby Carabooda, sourcing grapes from Margaret River and the Blackwood Valley.

At vintage the grapes are immediately trucked to the winery facility where senior winemaker, Andrew Spencer-Wright begins the winemaking process.

Andrew and Aquila's viticulturist, Alan Blight, work closely with the contracted grape growers to ensure the best quality fruit is achieved. Andrew has had some 16 years in the industry, having joined Aquila in 1997 from Sandalford Wines where he worked with Bill Crappsley for many years.

Aquila's range consists of two reds and five whites and has achieved recognition with medals right from the start - the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon won a gold medal at the Mount Barker Show. Of the current range, the 1999 Chardonnay has won gold, while the Chardonnay Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon have picked up a number of bronze gongs. The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon was also awarded silver at the Tokyo International Wine Challenge.

Andrew Spencer-Wright believes that the best method of producing premium wines is to let the grapes do the talking. To allow the characters of the fruit to develop naturally and to capture the essence of the variety.

Aquila's wines are sold throughout Western Australia, NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Export has also become a strong area for Aquila, with good markets in such countries as the UK,, Singapore, Mauritius and Korea.

The 1999 vintage has seen labels introduced on the bottles - incorporating the eagle wing - which is significant as Aquila is Latin for eagle.