Mornington Peninsula
Just over an hour from Melbourne, this coastal region is blessed with beauty and the potential to make great wines. Small wineries and a patchwork of vineyards make up the region, and it’s commonly acknowledged there is a divide between the cooler vineyards around Red Hill on the coast and those tucked inland such as Moorooduc where coastal breezes don’t reach as far.
There’s also a slew of welcoming cellar doors, many with restaurants and even art galleries and parks. This is a well-travelled playground for many Melburnians and tourists heading out of the city for a day trip. A beautiful combination of culture and beauty you can take in with a glass of something special in hand.
Grapes - Chardonnay (w), Pinot Gris (w) Pinot Noir (r), Shiraz (r)
Styles – The chardonnay is delicately styled with a lovely core of fruit supported by a line of spicy oak while the Pinot can range from a fragile expression to a fleshier style. This shiraz is peppery and darkly fruited.
Favourite Producers – Moorooduc, Yabby Lake, Garagiste, Quealy, Main Ridge Estate, Montalto, Paringa Estate, Polperro
Yarra Valley
Steeped in history, Yarra Valley was founded by Swiss settlers back in the 1800s. It escaped the blight of phylloxera in the early 1900s which wiped out most of the vineyards in Victoria and NSW (South Australia was spared due to strict quarantine measures). However downtown due to economic depression saw the region dwindle in production.
A resurgence in the mid-1900s occurred with the following wineries featuring strongly in its rebirth - Mount Mary, Yeringberg, Yarra Yering and Wantirna.
With the climate warming up there has been a recent spotlight shone on the Upper Yarra, the sub-region south of the Warburton Highway. Originally a source for sparkling wines, a lot of chardonnay and pinot is now being sourced for still wines.
A little further afield than the Mornington Peninsula, but still within reach for a day trip the Yarra Valley has a wealth of cellar doors and restaurants
Grapes – Chardonnay (w), Pinot Noir (r), Cabernet Sauvignon (r)
Styles – Upper Yarra produces pinot and chardonnay with great vibrancy, nervier in style. Grapes for sparkling are also produced in these cooler climes while down on the Yarra floor riper and fleshier wines are made. Clever winemaking harnesses the riper cores, injecting complexity and texture into the wines.
Favourite Producers - Yarra Yering, Yeringberg, Mount Mary, De Bortoli, Oakridge, Domaine Chandon, Seville Estate
Macedon Ranges
Just north of Melbourne, the Macedon Ranges has seen a surge of interest and plantings of late. While sparkling was its strength back in the 60s, the region is now considered one of the best sources of Pinot Noir headed by Bindi, Curly Flat and the newcomer Place of Changing Winds.
It’s very cool up here with altitudes nearing the 1000m range, so site selection and vineyard management are critical to achieving ripe grapes. There’s also been a flurry of young blood to the region which has added energy and excitement
Grapes – Chardonnay (w), Pinot Noir (r)
Styles – Elegant and finely styled wines where vintage plays a huge role.
Favourite Producers - Granite Hills, Hesket Estate, Curly Flat, Bindi Wine Growers, Place of Changing Winds, Josh Cooper Wines
Special mention must also go the Heathcote, King Valley and Gippsland and the historical regions of Great Western, Beechworth and Rutherglen which we will add to our evolving guide shortly.
TASMANIA
This cool climate island has been the source of great excitement and discussion in recent years. Its history with the vine can be traced back to the 1800s. Fast forward 150 years and both the north and south of Tasmania had plantings and were a great font for some of Australia’s best sparkling wines. Today while it still produces some of our best sparkling wines, the island’s still wines – including chardonnay and pinot - are lauded as some of the greatest.
North Tasmania
This idyllic region located to the north of Launceston with the Tamar River running down the west side provides an array of terroirs suited to growing
Plentiful rain needs a keen eye in the vineyard, and unwanted spring frosts have been known to wreak havoc – you might catch a glimpse of a helicopter hovering to mix the cold winds from the ground.
South Tasmania
Colder than the north yet surprisingly more sunshine hours fall here and less rain – so the perfect storm for growing grapes with flavour and freshness. It’s varied, so not all sites are warmer but some are. Coal River and Richmond are very dry and have even been able to ripen cabernet, which is always late to the party.
The vineyards surround Hobart and receive a healthy stream of tourists thanks mainly to MONA – which have their own winery, Moorilla Estate on the banks of the Derwent River. One of the first wineries established down south.
Grapes - Chardonnay (white), Riesling (w), Pinot Gris (w), Pinot Noir (r), Shiraz (r), Cabernet (r)
Style - The wines are finely boned with nuance and detail built in. A cleansing line of acidity is a common feature and handled well by clever winemakers.
Favourite Producers - Pooley Wines, Tolpuddle, Meadowbank, Stargazer, Chatto,
Margaret River
Margaret River would have to be one of the most spectacular wine regions in Australia. Nature’s rawness is on show here – a mix of stunning coastline, stately eucalypts and native plants are interspersed with rolling green vineyards and blue skies.
Four hours south of Perth, it’s not hidden but rather takes effort to get to – especially from the east coast. But worth it’s it. A strong maritime climate makes it comparable to Bordeaux, and cabernet and Semillon both thrive here. But so does the very versatile chardonnay grape.
There are well-trodden paths to all the wineries, many with restaurants attached. This is a charismatic and relaxed region, where the characterful wines steal the show against a stunning backdrop of the Aussie coastline.
Styles – Following in the footsteps of Bordeaux, the Semillon blends are spicy thanks to some oak use and the Cabernet are usually a blend – the best are elegantly styled with finely framed tannins. The Chardonnays can lead with a herbal edge and a fleshy ripe core complemented by a cigar spice from French oak.
Grapes – Semillon (w), Sauvignon Blanc (w) Chardonnay (w), Cabernet Sauvignon (r), Merlot (r), Cabernet Franc (r), Malbec (r), Petit Verdot (r), Shiraz (r)
Favourite Producers - Vasse Felix, Leeuwin, Mosswood, Cullen, Nocturne, Deepwoods, Voyager,
Barossa Valley
Settled by a mix of English and German immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century, the Barossa Valley built a solid reputation for fortified wines – based mainly on shiraz, grenache and Mataro. When the demand for fortified slumped, table wines picked up the pace.
The Barossa has a wealth of prized old vines, some of the oldest shiraz vines in the world are now in the hands of sixth-generation winegrowing families. Its warm climate, low rainfall and gnarled vines produce powerful virile reds that need time in the cellar to tame their youthful exuberance.
The region is based on a mix of smaller family-owned wineries with some larger companies such as Penfolds and Yalumba staking their claim too.
With a German heritage, there are some excellent local butchers whose smoked delights accompany a glass of rich and ripe red very well.
Styles – Cellar worthy rich, ripe and structured reds.
Grapes – Shiraz (r), Grenache (r), Mataro (r)
Favourite Producers - Standish Wines, Yalumba, Penfolds, Torbreck, Michael Hall,
Hunter Valley
This region was kicked off by James Busby in 1825, followed by a swelling in plantings and production in the late nineteenth century.
Termed a valley, gentle undulations are framed by the Brokenbank Range. The weather is not so favourable here, it’s warm, humid and wet. High summer rainfall leads to early vintages suited to fine and crisp semillon wines. There are also some very premium and ageable semillons coming off older vines that represent Australia as some of the best we make. The reds are usually medium-bodied with a lovely savoury twist.
The proximity to Sydney has injected this region with a constant stream of visitors and a loyal bunch of Semillon aficionados.
Grapes - Semillon, Chardonnay (w) Shiraz (r)
Style - Semillon usually falls into two camps – the crisp and refreshing drink early styles sometimes with a touch of residual sugar to tame the sprightly acidity or the premium wines that seem to effortlessly live forever, developing honeyed and waxy layers along the way.
Favourite Producers- Tyrrells, Andrew Thomas Wines, Brokenwood, Pepper Tree Wines
Canberra District
Most of the Canberra district lies in NSW with Murrumbateman leading the charge. Long dry summers and spring frosts have been a thorn in the side of many winemakers here, but the region hit its stride in the early 2000s. Small family-run wineries are the mainstay here, once upon a time bigger companies tried to invest but couldn’t make a go of it.
This is an exciting young Australian region. Riesling, both dry and off-dry in nature, lesser-known reds such as sangiovese and tempranillo with the jewel in the crown being shiraz. Clonakilla produces one of Australia’s best shirazes which is lifted by a splash of viognier.
Included in the southern NSW zone are Hilltops, Tumut, Tumbarumba, Gundagai and Orange. All these regions are perched high up resulting in fresh and vibrant wines with a cleansing line of acidity. With our climate warming up these are definite regions to watch as there is a lot of growth sprouting up here.
Grapes - Riesling (w), Gruner (w), Shiraz (r), Tempranillo (r), Sangiovese (r)
Styles - The rieslings are delicate and quite often off-dry to temper the highly pitched lines of acidity while the shiraz is commonly blended with a splash of viognier adding lifted florals and a gliding tannin.
Favourite Producers - Clonakilla, Ravensworth, Helm, Lark, Mount Majura