The Tulloch Story - 1843 to 1940

The Tulloch story began in 1843 when James Tulloch arrived in Australia from his homeland of Scotland. But it wasn't until 1895 the rich heritage of the Tulloch family became associated with the wine industry and started the tradition which proudly continues in the family today.

In 1895, Jame's grandson, John Younie Tulloch (J.Y. Tulloch) owned the Branxton General Store and accepted an unusual settlement for a debt owed to him - a 43 acre property in nearby Pokolbin. Tulloch took an immediate liking to the property and the five acres of neglected Shiraz vines it contained and undertook his first foray into viticulture and winemaking, which began the family tradition.

Renaming the parcel of land 'Glen Elgin' as a namesake for his Scottish descent, Tulloch rejuvenated the vines and within a year produced his first vintage of a single hogshead of red wine.

By the 1920's J.Y. Tulloch had established himself as the largest vigneron in the Hunter Valley and began a tradition of quality and excellence that is now synonymous with the Tulloch name. In 1940 J.Y. passed away after naming the company J.Y. Tulloch & Sons Pty. Ltd., in 1938. J.Y. was survived by five sons and four daughters.

A Time of Growth & Transition - 1940 to 1997

Following John Younie's death in 1940 the eldest of his five sons, Hector Tulloch, took over the reins of the family company and became Managing Director of J.Y. Tulloch & Sons P/L.

Hector was integral in bringing the family name to prominence during this period, particularly throughout the 1950's when he developed the famous Pokolbin Dry Red and Hunter River White labels. Hector's legacy lives on in the Australian wine industry as a pioneering Hunter Valley winemaker, he was survived by a son, Jay (also J.Y.) Tulloch and a daughter, Helen.

In 1965 Hector Tulloch passed away and in 1969 J.Y. Tulloch & Sons P/L was sold outside of the family for the first time to Reed Consolidated Publishing. In 1973 Jay Tulloch became General Manager and 50% of the company was sold from Reeds to Gilbey's Australia. From this point on mutliple ownerships changes occured as the company passed from Gilbey's to Castlemaine Tooheys to Penfolds, which was eventually sold to SA Brewing in 1992 and renamed Southcorp Wines.

By 1996 Jay Tulloch remained as General Manager of Southcorp's Hunter Valley operations, which included Hungerford Hill and another old Hunter name, Lindeman's Wines, as well as Tulloch. Tiring of life in a large multinational company Jay retired form Southcorp in 1996 and in 1997 he and his wife, Julia Tulloch, started their own boutique operation, the JYT Wine Company.

The Start of A New Tulloch Era - 1997 to Present

Under the direction of Jay and Julia Tulloch, the JYT Wine Company was founded in 1997 and gave Jay the opportunity to produce premium quality wines from his own small vineyard, in the approachable style that had become his trademark.

However in 2001 the opportunity arose to buy back the old family company, J.Y. Tulloch & Sons P/L from Southcorp Wines. Unable to resist and with interest from long term friends and business associates, Inglewood Vineyards, the new era of J.Y. Tulloch & Sons began, with a Tulloch once again at it's helm and its commitment to quality Hunter Valley wines renewed.

A respected member of the Australian wine industry, Jay Tulloch has continued his families proud tradition of viticulture and has contributed enormously to the shaping of the Hunter region along the way. Now his youngest daughter Christina joins him as the General Manager of the company and Christina's twin brother, Jock, is the Export Manager based in Asia.

Distribution through Angove's Wines, also a family owned business, ensures the unique historical tradition of the brand is preserved while allowing commercial viability to be explored. One of the Hunter's great winemaking names lives on with Tulloch, and the job of producing approachable wines for all generations of wine drinkers continues.