Chinese buy Wandin Valley winery
The Hunter Valley winery named after a fictional village in the 1980s hit TV series A Country Practice has been sold for $7 million.
It's been bought by a director of one of China's largest animation studios, Lap Tung Tsoi.
The Lovedale property was originally known as Millstone Vineyard.
The 40-hectare property was renamed Wandin Valley by the creator of A Country Practice, James Davern, and his wife Philippa following their purchase in 1990 for $900,000.
The Davern's redeveloped the property into a winery, building the cricket pavilion-style main residence, manager's cottage, modern cellar, function rooms for weddings, and adding the tourist accommodation.
Wandin Valley fetched $4.75 million in 2010 when sold to the Mosman couple Katrina and Russell Leslie, who is a former Macquarie investment banker.
Tsoi is a director in his family's international animation and toy manufacturing empire Alpha Group which was founded by his billionaire brother, Cai Dongqing, who was a co-producer of China's all-time highest box office grossing movie The Mermaid.
Tsoi owns an $11.7 million mansion in Vaucluse.
Scottish-born and trained as a chartered accountant, Russell launched himself into the Hunter wine industry in 2005 by buying the former George Hunter Estate vineyard then in 2006 by acquiring the adjoining Gartelmann vineyard.
In 2009 he paid $2 million for the Warraroong property and then the Wandin Valley Estate which was retained until the sale last month.
