The Johnston family arrived in South Australia circa 1839. Alexander Campbell Johnston, the tenth of thirteen children, purchased ninety seven hectares of rich farmland southeast of the fledgling village at McLaren Vale in 1892. He named his land Pirramimma, an Aboriginal phrase meaning the moon and stars. The estate has been owned and operated by the Johnston family ever since. Vineyard soils vary from sandy on the rise, to rich dark loam on the flat. Most of the estate is planted to noble red varietals, including Shiraz, Pedro and Grenache. A portion of each harvest is set aside to be aged under the Pirramimma cellars for many years until assembling into a generously flavoured Old Liqueur Port.