There is very little light pollution in this area, allowing excellent views of the magnificent cosmic displays in the night sky which give the winery its name.

Stellar have been pioneers in ethical practices: workers on the farms and in the winery, including seasonal workers, own 26% of the enterprise through shares in the Stellar Empowerment Trust.

The first vintage from organically-grown grapes was released in 2001 and since then the cellar’s output has grown to over two million bottles a year. The winery’s reputation is now solidly built on innovative winemaking, eco-friendly farming and production and fair trading. The no-added-sulphur wine range, created in 2004, has been so successful that today Stellar is the world’s leading producer in this category.

It is often said, and rightly so, that the production of quality wines begins in the vineyards. This has never been truer for Stellar Winery than now. The benefits of new technology, including minimised losses and oxidisation, spurred Stellar Winery into action. In their quest for quality wines and minimised losses, the team realised that with high-density planting came benefits for producers, but also the need for specialised equipment. A new high-tech harvesting machine was purchased. The initial cost of this new multifunctional machine harvester is rapidly recovered, as better quality grapes are delivered.