The original Water Wheel Vineyard was planted in 1970. In 1989 the Cumming family purchased the winery and surrounding 20 acres of vines. Water Wheel Vineyards is owned by the Cumming family who have farmed in the Bendigo region for fifty years. Ron and Peter Cumming have a strong background in horticulture and place a strong emphasis on vineyard management. At the winery the emphasis is on producing high quality, fruit driven wines with strong varietal definition and length on the palate. Since 1989 three new vineyards have been planted at Bridgewater - on - Loddon to help enhance the complexity and improve the overall wine quality. Total plantings now exceed 300 acres.