The venture isn’t being pursued as a commercial wine making concern, and is being touted as an addition to the stately manor’s appeal.

Abercrombie House custodians Christopher and Xanthe Morgan were out in the field this week along with vigneron Tony Hatch from Vale Creek Wines marking out where the vines are to be planted.

They have chosen a north-east facing paddock which comes off a formal part of the garden near the house.

Mr Morgan said putting in the vines, that represent a cross-section of the different wineries in the district, is something he’s been considering for many years.

“The plan is to get cuttings of each variety of grape grown in the region and establish each of them in a separate row going down the side of the hill,” he said. “We don’t plan on it being a full-scale winery as such. It’s more of a way of showcasing to visitors to the estate the fact the region produces some wonderful cool-climate wines.

“Doing something like this can only enhance what we do at Abercrombie House. Everyone will benefit and we’ll be making use of land that has really not been used to its full potential in the past, having been left as pasture.”

Mr Morgan said there would be interpretive signs placed at strategic positions in the vineyard, along the same lines as those which feature in central district locations such as Kings Parade. 

Bathurst Regional Vignerons Association’s Tony Hatch said the Abercrombie House venture was an ideal way to promote the region’s wines to a wider audience through tourism opportunities that stem from the drawing power of such an iconic property.

He said local vignerons were helping the Morgan family get the vines established by providing their expertise when it comes to plantings and vine maintenance.