Anyone cruising along Caves Road through Willyabrup can't help but appreciate Brookland Valley's beautifully tended vineyards and picture book scenery.

This is a vineyard that is committed to excellence in every sense of the word. Whether one is sipping the multi-award winning Chardonnay, appraising the manicured vines or sampling the gourmet fare on the deck at the delightful Flutes Restaurant, everything is as it should be - which is pretty close to perfect.

Such uncompromising standards are chiefly the work of Brookland Valley's founding owners Malcolm and Deirdre Jones. And although a 50% interest in the winery was sold to BRL Hardy in 1997, Malcolm remains CEO and the guiding force behind operations.

Prior to becoming Margaret River's most immaculate vineyard, Brookland Valley was a dairy farm which the Joneses bought in 1983. Everything pointed toward the production of fine wines on their prime plot.

Having worked for many years as a successful agricultural management consultant and business executive, Malcolm knew that good advice was needed for any successful venture, so he turned to Australia's foremost winemaking consultancy, Oenotec. With experts like Brian Croser and Dr. Tony Jordan helping out, the budding winery was off to a brilliant start.

The aim was to produce the best possible grapes so as to produce consistent, high quality premium wines. All the best vineyard techniques were employed, including vertical trellising to give greater fruit exposure, close planting to control vegetative vigour, a computer operated irrigation system, organic sprays and fertilisers, and extensive windbreaks to protect from the ubiquitous, year-round westerlies.