Peninsula Dreaming

National Liquor News - November 2004

While Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the Yarra Valley’s flagship varieties, the region also produces some impressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Indeed this year (2004), Pinot’s star is likely to be outshone by Cabernet. A cool, dry lead-up to vintage, with unusually warm days in March and April, provided near-perfect ripening conditions. In its 2004 vintage report, the Yarra Valley Wine Network said Cabernet had held its foliage until late in the season, producing fruit that was packed with flavour and fine grain tannins. Pinot Noir was variable in quality, though fruit from the best sites was pleasing. Spokesman Matt Steel, winemaker for Yarra Ridge, said higher than expected yields meant that they had had to work “pretty hard with Pinot to get some texture and intensity”.

“Cabernet Sauvignon again looks good after a great year last year with great colours and intensity of flavour. Shiraz is more delicate and aromatic although very ripe,” he said. “The climatic conditions in vintage were about a good as I can remember … We were able to pick what we wanted, whenever we wanted without fear of the weather ruining our plans. Bloody fantastic.” In the three years that Steel has been senior winemaker at Yarra Ridge, he has worked on refining the style of its wines. “Behind the scenes at the winery we have been making a lot of improvements … and I think these changes are really starting to shine through in the great wines we are producing and the awards we have recently won,” he said. “The types of cool climate wines we are producing have an understated confidence, and a subtle style that is great with food.”

Coupled with this approach is a new look designed to project a “youthful, vibrant persona”, according to senior marketing manager, Jane Garland. Abstract images of the vineyards and hills that had been a feature on the label for many years are still there, but they have been given a more contemporary edge with different colours classifying each of the varietals in the range. Selling for around $21 to $23, there’s an Unwooded Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, all bottled under screw-cap. Since Louis Bialkower established the vineyard in the early 1980s, Yarra Ridge has forged ahead in leaps and bounds.

Plantings expanded rapidly after Beringer Blass took over in 1993, and marketing communications manager Michaela Murphy says the company’s commitment to the brand will continue, even though the winery and cellar door are on the market. Murphy said the sale would enable more money to be invested in building the brand, which it will retain. “There has been quite a bit of activity around the brand,” she said, referring not just to the new look but to the introduction of a second range called Eye Spy. Aimed at the “lifestyle market, cafes and outdoors”, it includes a Non-Vintage Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay and two popular blends, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.

Beringer Blass will continue to operate its St Huberts cellar door, whose history is closely entwined with that of the region. Hubert de Castella arrived in Australia from Switzerland in 1862 and planted the vineyard the following year, winning a Grand Prix award for his wine at the 1889 Paris exposition. A Yering Station Cabernet won a similar award at the same exposition, throwing the world spotlight on the region. But as other primary industries took over, and not because of phylloxera as is widely thought, the valley’s wine industry collapsed. The last vines were pulled out in the 1920s and it was another 40 years or so before the industry’s rejuvenation began.

Rob Dolan ran Yarra Ridge for about 10 years until 1999, when he left to establish his own label, Sticks, which he says is “all about punchy fruit flavours”. The range includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dolan said the market had changed dramatically from the boom times of the mid-1990s. Although Chardonnay was still in demand, the price of Chardonnay fruit had halved in the last two years. Meanwhile, there was an oversupply of reds, including Cabernet, Pinot and even Merlot. “Eight years ago, who would think we’d be selling Yarra Valley Pinot for $17? Nowadays Pinot is not in demand, Cabernet is not in demand. Chardonnay and Pinot were the flagships. Now we have new flagship products like Shiraz Viognier.”

Yering Station, Yarra Burn and De Bortoli are among those who have jumped on the Shiraz Viognier bandwagon, Yering Station planting its Viognier in 1998. Rhone varieties, Shiraz and Marsanne, were planted on the property in the 19th century, and winemaker Tom Carson felt that because they performed well, Viognier, also a Rhone variety, was likely to as well. The 2001 Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier was voted best wine of the show at the recent (August 2004) Tri-Nations Wine Challenge, a competition featuring wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Yering Station winery is one of the most impressive in the Yarra Valley, with expansive views from its restaurant and an enormous underground cellar with vaulted ceiling. Owned by the Rathbone family, it won a coveted National Tourism Award for Winery Tourism in February. Yering Station can’t keep up with the demand for its extra dry Pinot Rose. Its Yarrabank Cuvee, produced in partnership with the Champagne House of Devaux, is also highly regarded. The Cuvee is made from Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula fruit.

The predominance of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir makes the Yarra Valley ideal for sparkling wine production, a fact picked up on by Moet Hennessy when it established Domaine Chandon in 1986. It produces an extensive range including a Non Vintage Brut, Vintage Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir (try it with Peking duck!), Brut ZD (zero dosage), Brut Rose, Cuvee Riche and Sparkling Pinot Shiraz. With the portfolio now well established, the company has been concentrating on its still wine range, Green Point, in recent years. Since 2000, this has grown to 50 per cent of the company’s Australian business.

Yarra Burn, now owned by the Hardy Wine Company, produced the valley’s first methode champenoise wine in 1983. It sold for $19.95, the most expensive Australian bubbly at the time, and despite having been overtaken by many more expensive wines, has withstood the test of time. Yarra Burn’s founder, David Fyffe, is still closely involved in the winery, just as James Halliday takes a keen interest in Coldstream Hills, the winery he established then sold to Southcorp. His vineyard photos feature on new labels for the 2003 Coldstream Hills Varietal Range, which includes a very popular Chardonnay, now under screw cap. Among the Yarra Valley’s busiest cellar doors are De Bortoli, with its Italian-style restaurant, TarraWarra with its Museum of Art, Rochford, which made a great 2002 Shiraz, and McWilliams’ Lillydale Estate which produces a range of good-value wines across a spectrum of varieties.

Darren De Bortoli fell in love with the region while studying at Roseworthy. De Bortoli bought its first vineyard there in 1987 and is now one of the region’s largest producers. Its big boost came in 1997 when it won the Jimmy Watson trophy for its 1996 Reserve Shiraz. It has had great success with its Pinot, the 2002 vintage winning a trophy at this year’s Sydney Wine Show. Some Yarra Valley fruit goes into its $12 Windy Peak Pinot too. Less than an hour’s drive in the opposite direction from Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula winemakers have staked a claim on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon too. Pinot Gris (or Grigio) is a rising star. T’Gallant was the first to plant it in 1989 and has become one of the leading producers of the variety in Australia.

Winemaker Kathleen Quealy estimates there are at least 50 Pinot Gris vineyards on the Peninsula, including Elgee Park Wines, Paringa Estate, Stumpy Gully Vineyard and Ten Minutes By Tractor, so named because its three vineyards are 10 minutes by tractor apart. Quealy, who with partner Kevin McCarthy remains active in the business despite selling to Beringer Blass, said the Mornington was ideal for Pinot Gris because the ultra cool climate allowed the grapes to retain “precious natural acid and encourages complex flavours whilst keeping ugly phenolic development low”. Most of the peninsula vineyards are small, averaging around 4ha in size, and it can be a challenge for businesses to grow without an injection of funds from large companies, as in the case of T’Gallant.

It happened, too, with Dromana Estate, established by Garry Crittenden in 1982. One of the pioneers of winemaking in the region, it was publicly listed in 2000 and has since shifted its cellar door to historic Tuerong Park, where it has a new state-of-the-art winery. Last year, Crittenden’s son Rollo took over as chief winemaker for the Dromana Estate, Mornington Estate, Yarra Valley Hills and Garry Crittenden “i” labels, with Garry leaving the company to pursue “other” interests. Those interests include a return to his roots at his property in Dromana, and the release of a new “Crittenden at Dromana” wine label.

One of the newcomers on the scene is Kooyong, which planted its first vines in 1996 and now produces a very stylish Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which sell for around $37 and $40 respectively. It makes a second Pinot, Massale, which sells for around $26. More recent still is Yabby Lake Vineyard, whose first release earlier this year was one of the most beautifully packaged this writer has seen. The 2002 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, priced at around $35 and $50 respectively, live up to their elegant presentation, thanks to the skill and experience of winemakers Tod Dexter and Larry McKenna. Dexter was formerly chief executive and winemaker at Stonier Wines, and during his time there, oversaw its development from a 250 case to 30,000 case brand.

Tuck’s Ridge and picturesque Port Phillip Estate are producing some smart Shiraz but it is hard to go past the Port Phillip Pinot, the 2001 vintage of which has won a string of awards including a gold medal at the National Wine Show in Canberra. Willow Creek Vineyard has also had considerable show success, its 2001 Tulum Cabernet Sauvignon winning a trophy at this year’s Cowra Wine Show and last year being named Best Mornington Peninsula Red Wine at the Southern Victorian Wine Show. Willow Creek also makes a sparkling wine under its premium Tulum label. On February 5-6 next year (2005), the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association will host a second Pinot Noir celebration like the first held two years ago. Panel guests from Oregon, Burgundy, New Zealand and Australia will speak and there will, needless to say, be a large Mornington Peninsula contingent.

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Guide to Yarra Valley and Mornington ...

The Yarra Valley, one hour by car from Melbourne, has plenty to offer visitors seeking a complete gourmet experience. The Yarra Valley Regional Food Group has over 100 members making and selling everything from pasta, icecream and lavender to quail, buffalo and trout. Visitors can pick their own fruit and there are numerous “farm gate” outlets. Phone (03) 9513 0677 for a brochure on the Food Group Trail.

On the third Sunday of each month, the Group holds a farmers’ market at Yering Station, which itself offers a complete package for visitors, with cellar door, art gallery, produce store, wine bar, restaurant, tours and short films about wine. Domaine Chandon holds regular winery tours, which can be followed up with a glass of bubbly and tasting platters in its Green Point Room. De Bortoli offers winery tours at 11 am and 3pm daily, followed by a tutored tasting. For more serious enthusiasts, there is a Wine School on the first Saturday of every month. It has an excellent Italian restaurant, and runs a cooking school with classes led by high-profile chefs. Bookings: (03) 5965 2271.

Rochford, Yering Station and McWilliam’s Lillydale Estate have good winery restaurants. A real gem on the local dining scene is the Healesville Hotel, which specializes in dishes using local produce. The Warratina Lavender Farm at Wandin offers a pleasant diversion, while the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary has more than 200 species of birds, mammals and reptiles living in large habitat areas that match their native environments. Several companies offer early-morning hot-air balloon flights – it’s a great experience to go drifting over the valley with its patchwork of vineyards below.

Accommodation ranges from B & B’s to luxury hotels such as The Sebel Lodge Yarra Valley (1800 002 105) which has a day spa, excellent restaurant and Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Chateau Yering Historic Hotel (03-9237 3333) has 20 luxurious suites in a grand 1850 homestead set in formal landscaped gardens. The Yarra Valley Wine Network (03-5962 4800) holds regular master classes at the hotel, with themed tastings of up to nine wines from different Yarra Valley wineries. Cost: $40 includes tasting glasses.

Yarra Valley Visitor Information Centre: (03) 5962 2600; www.yarrarangestourism.com

Just over an hour’s drive south-east of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula curls around Port Phillip Bay, its popular bayside beaches on one side and quieter coves and inlets on the other separated by a strip of land that is home to orchards, herb gardens, nurseries, boutique wineries, historic country homesteads, galleries and antique shops. There are numerous cellar door restaurants including Dromana Estate (now at historic Tuerong Park), Critters Café and Wine Bar at Dromana, Paringa Estate, Willow Creek Vineyard and Red Hill Estate. Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove has a restaurant, tastings of its olive products, cooking classes, picnics and walks in the wetlands. The Stonier Winery offers tours.

Fresh produce can be bought from many of the orchards and berry farms; some allow visitors to pick their own. Visit the Red Hill community market (first Saturday of the month from September to May) or the Emu Plains market at Balnarring racecourse (third Saturday of the month from November to May). Lindenderry Country House Hotel (03-5989 2933) is a five-star hotel surrounded by vineyard. At Sorrento, historic hotels and mansions sit alongside sidewalk cafes, boutiques and galleries. Nearby Portsea is popular for diving, or you can enjoy walks along the cliffs at Cape Schanck. When it’s time to leave, take the 35-minute car ferry trip from Sorrento across the bay to Queenscliff and the wine region of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula.

Peninsula Visitor Information Centre: 1800 804 009; www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org

© Christine Salins

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