Henry Best, for whom Best’s Great Western is named, planted his first vines in the region as far back as 1866. A few decades later, the scotsman William Thomson bought property and planted vines at Rhymney to the south, adding the original Best’s vineyards to his holdings in 1920 upon Henry Best’s death. The Thomson family continue to own and operate Best’s Great Western today, making it one of the few historic Australian wineries to remain non-corporatized. Today, the winery is actively run by 5th generation Ben Thomson, who serves as Managing Director and Vineyard Manager. His brother Hamish handles regional sales, and the 6th generation of the family is already involved in daily operations. Best’s original plantings included 48,000 vines and many exist today, pre-phylloxera and on their original rootstock.