In 1984 Lindsay McCall, then a geography teacher, purchased an old north-facing orchard on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, in the cool sub-region of Red Hill. He planted a ten-acre vineyard (including Shiraz, at that point unpopular in the region). His first vintage in 1987 was so small he had to press into an old fish-tank; his second vintage was more successful, but the winery remained almost a one-man job until 1996, when Lindsay was finally able to give up his teaching job and become a full time winemaker. The Paringa Estate is notable for their use of the `Lyre` vine-trellis, which trains the vine in a U shape. This is well-suited to the high-vigour volcanic soil of the region, and offers better air-circulation and exposure to sunlight, useful in a region where disease-pressure can be a serious threat. The extra light and air dries off any moisture that collects on the bunches, and prevents vine-diseases like mildew from gaining a foothold in the vineyard. Production has grown enormously since 1996, with the estate leasing other vineyards in the region to augment their own production. They produce three ranges. Peninsula, using grapes sourced from other sites on Mornington Peninsula; Estate, using their own vineyards; and the Single Vineyard series, which is a range of single-site wines from selected parcels. /JH