After their father’s early death, “Bert” and “Fred” Kay set out to build an industry of their own, buying the Amery property at McLaren Vale and moving there in 1891 with their sisters Rose and Kate. Neither had farmed before, yet within seven years they’d planted 103 acres of vines and made their first vintage in 1895 — 2,000 gallons of dry red bound for Britain. They built the original winery through the 1890s, much of which still stands, and in 1928 installed the Celestin Coq & Compagnie basket press still in use today. Their partnership lasted 57 years, a record unequalled in Australian winemaking, ending only with Fred’s death in 1947 and Bert’s the year after.

Cud’s son Colin gradually took over winemaking in the 1970s, refining the range and growing the winery — new vineyards, modern equipment, and in 1985 the first vintage of Block 6 Shiraz, drawn from vines his grandfather planted in 1892. Under Colin the company turned 100 in 1991 and its heritage buildings were listed in 1993; he introduced drip irrigation, new varietals, and the Basket Press range alongside the icon Cuthbert Cabernet and Hillside Shiraz. He stepped back from day-to-day duties in 2014.

Colin’s daughter Elspeth continues the family tradition today, working alongside Duncan Kennedy. She also keeps the Kay family diary — an almost unbroken daily record begun by Bert and Fred on the day they arrived at Amery in 1891, now more than 130 years deep, and a living link between the family’s past and the decisions still to come.