Great Wines Start in the Vineyard
Eastern Peake began with a donkey stud farm and a newspaper advert. [^220^] In 1981, Dianne Pym spotted an ad from Trevor Mast — the legendary winemaker of Best's of Great Western — seeking a cool-climate site for Pinot Noir. [^220^] Forty applicants responded; two were chosen. In November 1983, Norman and Dianne planted their first Pinot Noir cuttings (MV6 clone) on a high plateau near Ballarat, 430 metres above sea level on the Great Dividing Range. [^220^] Owen was born two months later — literally into the vines. [^220^] What started as a grape-growing contract for Mast's Mount Langi Ghiran evolved into one of Australia's most respected family wineries. Trevor Mast gave them a basket press, a destemmer, and some barrels — and the advice that would define everything: "This is an incredible vineyard site. Get the vineyard right every year, and producing the wine in the cellar will be a breeze." [^210^] Today, Eastern Peake is a 21-acre property with 12.5 acres under vine — Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah — farmed organically and regeneratively, made with indigenous yeasts, no fining, no filtration, and minimal sulfur. [^220^] Owen, now 40 and Young Gun of Wine 2025, runs the cellar with the same hands-off philosophy his parents established four decades ago. The wines are honest, structured, and alive — classic cool-climate expressions that improve with age and tell the story of a family, a place, and a philosophy that has never changed.
Donkeys, Destiny & Trevor Mast
Norman Latta was born in Pascoe Vale South in 1953. His family ran a butcher's shop. In 1977, he and Dianne moved to Coghills Creek — a tiny township 25km northwest of Ballarat — with a dream of self-sufficiency. [^219^] They built a mud-brick home, grew vegetables, kept livestock, and yes — had a couple of donkeys. "My parents are quite crafty," Owen laughs. "Back in the day you couldn't get a planning permit unless you had a reason to be on the property. They thought: 'we'll have a donkey stud farm because then we can live here.'" [^219^]
Dianne loved wine. The Australian wine industry was small then — you could visit wineries and meet the family who ran them. "This really resonated with her," the winery's biography notes, "how you could capture a season of work in a bottle to preserve it for generations to come." [^220^] In 1981, she saw Trevor Mast's advert in the local paper. Mast was "searching for the best place in Australia for sparkling wine" — or rather, for fine Pinot Noir on a cool-climate site. [^219^] Out of forty applicants, three were selected to plant for Mast. Norman and Dianne were one of them.
The first vines went in November 1983 — MV6 clone Pinot Noir. [^220^] Owen was born in January 1984, followed by Claire in 1986. [^220^] More plantings followed: Pinot Noir (including the rare Morillion clone from Best's) in 1989, Chardonnay in 1991–1993, and the final Pinot Noir block in 1994, bringing the acreage to 12.5 on the 21-acre property. [^220^] For almost ten years, the fruit was sold to Trevor Mast for Mount Langi Ghiran. Then Mast suggested they make their own wine. Norman had never intended to be a winemaker — "he had thought he'd always be a grape grower" — but they decided to jump in. [^220^] Trevor gave them a basket press, a destemmer, and some barrels. A winery was designed by Norman with Mast's insistence on small 3000L open concrete fermenters — "urging him not to use stainless steel." [^222^] The first vintage was 1995.
"This is an incredible vineyard site. Get the vineyard right every year, and producing the wine in the cellar will be a breeze."
— Trevor Mast
Volcanic Basalt, 430m & Marginal Continental
Eastern Peake sits on a high plateau 430 metres above sea level on the Great Dividing Range, overlooking the Creswick Valley to the east with the granite outcrop of Mount Bolton — Eastern Peake itself — to the west. [^222^] The climate is marginal continental: cold winters, warm summers, and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts during the growing season. The soil is volcanic weathered basalt grey loam — ancient, mineral-rich, and distinctively cool-climate. [^220^]
The vineyard was dry-grown for almost 20 years, but climate change has altered rainfall patterns, and irrigation is now available via an underground artesian water system accessed by bore. [^220^] The farming evolved from organic principles by default in the 1980s (chemicals were too expensive) to conventional methods on a soft approach, to regenerative farming from 2006, to organic methods as the principal practice from 2013. [^220^] The future plan is biodynamics via Quantum Farming practices. "The future is all about healthy soils so that healthy vines can thrive on this land," the winery states. "Winemaking is the relatively straightforward part. Farming for the future is the true key to success." [^220^]
The varieties are classic cool-climate: Pinot Noir (MV6 and Morillion clones), Chardonnay, and Syrah from the neighbouring Walsh Block. [^220^] The Pinot Noir is the heart of the estate — the variety that Trevor Mast identified as perfect for the site, and the one that has defined Eastern Peake's reputation. The Chardonnay is equally respected — Intrinsic Chardonnay is the flagship white, known for its texture, complexity, and longevity. [^219^] The Syrah from the Walsh Block is a newer addition, planted in 2003, and has quickly become a cult favourite — "the best SO2-free Syrah to come out of Australia," one UK merchant claimed. [^222^]
High plateau on the Great Dividing Range. Volcanic weathered basalt grey loam soils. Marginal continental climate — cold winters, warm summers, dramatic diurnal shifts. [^220^] Not part of an established wine region GI, which has allowed the Lattas to set their own vision and ethos. [^210^]
Pinot Noir (MV6 and Morillion clones) — planted 1983, 1989, 1994. Chardonnay — planted 1991–1993. Syrah from Walsh Block — planted 2003. [^220^] All hand-pruned, hand-picked. Low yields for concentration and quality. The vineyard is the engine room; the cellar is just there to help the progression.
Organic by default in the 1980s (chemicals too expensive). Soft conventional approach until 2006. Regenerative farming from 2006. Organic methods principal from 2013. Future plan: biodynamics via Quantum Farming. [^220^] Cover crops, compost, biodiversity, soil health as the priority.
Neighbour Frank Walsh planted 1.25 acres of Syrah (PT23 clone) in 2003, highly encouraged by the Lattas. [^220^] This fruit has become the source of Eastern Peake's cult Syrah — dark, savoury, and made without added sulfur. "The best SO2-free Syrah to come out of Australia." [^222^]
Hands Off, Indigenous Yeasts & No Additions
A hands-off approach has always been the philosophy at Eastern Peake. [^220^] Norman was excited by the world of wine, especially after exposure to Volnay and Meursault through a good friend. [^220^] He knew he had planted the vines in the right place under the right guidance, and he was determined not to interfere too much. "The vineyard is truly the key to making great wine, the winemaker is just there to help the progression. Don't interfere too much with what you have already." [^222^]
Owen has refined this philosophy to elegant simplicity. All wines are fermented with naturally occurring indigenous yeast. No sulfur is added until the completion of malolactic fermentation. [^210^] Owen has never added acid to juice, must, or wines. No fining or filtering takes place on any wine. [^210^] He relies solely on a cold cellar, time on lees, and time to finish wines prior to bottling. "An unforced approach is my philosophy." [^210^] He uses a variety of vessels — neutral oak barrels of various sizes, stainless steel, and concrete — but the vessel is always in service of the fruit, not the other way around.
Harvesting at the correct time is the most crucial part of winemaking. Some blocks are harvested multiple times to capture style, freshness, ripeness, and texture. "I like to use the vineyard as the colour pallet with multiple harvests, and not the winery to correct the fruit with additions," Owen says. [^210^] This patience and attention to detail is evident in every bottle. The wines are not rushed; they are given time to develop, to settle, to find their own equilibrium. The result is wines of exceptional longevity — the 1996 and 2003 vintages, once challenging, are now drinking beautifully. [^220^]
The 1999 Vintage — Owen's Initiation
1999 was the vintage that defined Owen Latta. He was fifteen, returning home from school to find his father Norman had tripped over a winery hose and suffered severe concussion. [^210^] Norman was sidelined for the remainder of vintage. Owen's parents said he would have to step up to look after the cellar and do as Norm would do. Punch-downs in the morning before catching the school bus — sometimes getting in trouble from teachers for having wine stains on his shirt. [^220^] "They probably thought he was drinking," the biography notes. [^220^] It was a formative experience, cementing the fact that Owen wanted to be a winemaker, grape grower, and farmer for the rest of his life. [^220^] "I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life," Owen recalls. [^219^] The 1999 vintage was not just wine; it was a baptism. And the philosophy that emerged — hands-off, vineyard-first, no additions — has remained unchanged for over two decades.
Family, Place, & the Next 40 Years
Eastern Peake is a family affair in the truest sense. Norman and Dianne laid the foundations — planting the vineyard, building the winery, establishing the hands-off philosophy. Owen took over in 2006, after university studies in Geelong, vintages in the Yarra Valley and Burgundy, and years of dual-duty winemaking to keep the family business afloat. [^220^] Between 2009 and 2016, there was not enough money to pay Owen a wage, so he worked at another winery an hour away while managing Eastern Peake and launching Latta Vino. [^210^] His wife Jen opened Winespeake in Daylesford. [^220^] It was a decade of hustle, sacrifice, and relentless work.
Today, the family is thriving. Owen was awarded Gourmet Traveller Wine Young Winemaker of the Year in 2018, and Young Gun of Wine in 2025. [^220^] [^211^] The team includes Chris Dilworth (full-time since 2017), Scott Gerade, Dave Morgan, Charlie Mann, and cellar hand Elijah. [^220^] The oldest vines are being lavished with attention to "make sure they're around for another 40 years or more." [^210^] New vineyards are planned on land near the winery to secure grape production for both Eastern Peake and Latta Vino. [^210^]
The identity is defined by consistency — 21 years making wine at the same place, from the same grapes, grown at the same place. [^220^] And working with the best growers in Western and Central Victoria for the Latta Vino label. "What a ride," Owen reflects. "It is truly remarkable how fast this time has gone.. absolutely insane." [^220^] The winery celebrated 42 years in 2025. The next chapter is about securing the future — planting new vines, moving toward biodynamics, and ensuring that Eastern Peake remains a family winery for generations to come. "As I mature more as a producer, the farming of vineyard is becoming more and more important than what happens in the cellar," Owen says. [^210^]
"I love what we already had, the old concrete fermenters and stuff. It's crazy to think about the wines we produced with no cash flow. The vineyard was always the thing that powered through. Great sites make great wine, don't tinker. Trevor would always say that 'you don't have to do too much, you've already got a great site so don't stuff it up.'"
— Owen Latta
The Eastern Peake Range
Eastern Peake produces a tight, focused range of estate-grown wines from the Coghills Creek vineyard — Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. All wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, with no acid additions, no fining, and no filtration. Sulfur is added only after malolactic fermentation, in minimal amounts. The style is classic cool-climate: elegant, structured, and built for longevity. The Pinot Noir is the flagship — the variety that Trevor Mast identified as perfect for the site in 1981. The Chardonnay is equally revered — textural, complex, and mineral. The Syrah from the Walsh Block is the dark horse — savory, peppery, and made without added sulfur. [^222^] Prices are approximate and vary by market.