Inspired by their love of winemaking, Shane and Loretta Breheny began planning Brown Magpie in 1998. They planted their vineyard in 2001-2002, naming the winery after the rare brown magpies that live there.

Brown Magpie is located at Modewarre in the Otway Ranges, nestled into the hinterland of Victoria's Great Ocean Road, just a few kilometres from Geelong. Positioned on a gentle, northern slope and bordered by cypress trees, it is a warm, sheltered site in a cool maritime climate. The main varieties are Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Pinot Gris. In the winery they let the grapes speak for themselves, with the minimum of winemaking intervention.

At Brown Magpie, the wines are entirely estate grown. Their leading wine is Paraparap Reserve Pinot Noir. Other notable wines include the Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio.