![]() ![]() It’s a hub for innovation and home to some of the most progressive, dynamic winemakers in the world. Each winery expresses the diversity of its terroir, the passion of its producers, a mastery of traditional practices and despite its 170-year legacy, it’s far from old. The Yarra Valley now has more than eighty wineries, and because of its proximity to Melbourne, it is a popular tourist destination and home to some high-profile wineries and many smaller producers. As part of an expansion and innovation strategy of the French Champagne House Moët en Chandon after establishing successful ventures in Argentina and California, they conducted an extensive nationwide search of wine growing regions and chose the Yarra Valley for their Australian sparkling operation in 1982. It wasn’t until 1989 that Victoria’s first commercial vineyard, Yering Station, was replanted, and that year was also the exciting release of the first cuvées for Domaine Chandon (now known just as Chandon). When I was growing up here in the 1980s, there were a few wineries, but the area was known more as a food bowl with fruit orchards and other crops. ![]() There was a small resurgence in the 1960s, with new vineyards planted including the re-establishment of Yeringburg and St Hubert’s. The last vines from this era were uprooted in the 1920s and the land returned to pasture. As with a lot of wine regions the area was affected by the devastating insect pest phylloxera. ![]() Plantings reached nearly 1,000 acres by the turn of the century. A second de Castella brother, Hubert, planted St Hubert’s in 1863 and Guillaume de Pury established Yeringburg in 1864. It really was a ‘heyday’, establishing the area with international renown with wine awards won including the Grand Prix at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889.īy the 1860s several other vineyards had been established in the Yarra Valley. The history is that after Paul de Castella took ownership, new vines were imported from France and production increased. As one of the best day trips outside of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley was one of our training tours. I remember this story from when I was a TAFE lecturer training tour guides. ![]() It was planted by the Scottish-born Ryrie brothers in 1838, but it wasn’t until Paul de Castella took ownership that the first Yarra Valley wine was made in 1845. It always feels a bit like home when visiting, and with so many beautiful cellar doors showcasing the regions cool climate varieties, it is a lot more bubbly fun!Īlthough the first vines in Victoria were planted elsewhere, Yering Station in the Yarra Valley was the site of Victoria’s first commercial vineyard. I grew up near here, on the other side of the ranges in St Andrews, which wasn’t then, but is now considered part of the Yarra Valley region. The Yarra Valley has an abundance of cellar doors and as a cool climate region offers some of the best sparkling wine at cellar door tastings and regional local produce at restaurants. This pristine natural environment is home to breathtaking landscapes, beautiful native forests, is one of Melbourne’s main water catchment areas and currently hosts around 3,800 total hectares under vine. The region offers a diverse range of wines and is best known for its chardonnay and pinot noir varieties, favourites for producing sparkling wine.Īs the name suggests, the Yarra Valley is named after Melbourne’s main river that begins its journey on the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and twists through the forested valleys of the Yarra Ranges and its quaint regional towns before flowing through Melbourne and concluding its journey in Port Phillip Bay. She sits on my chair, adjusts it for a minute, stares at the Illustrator window for 10 seconds and says "OK, now TELL me what to do next!!!" I burst into laugh and invited her out of my office before she deletes something important.Around an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is known as the oldest wine-producing region in Victoria, dating back to 1838. Her reaction: "OK!!! Then I'LL DO IT!! It can't be that hard." I gave her my seat, took a step back and enjoyed the rest of the show. I also offered her alternative solutions. I politely tried to explain her using her very limited technological knowledge and abilities, that it cannot be done, why it cannot be done, and that I'm not gonna waste my time doing that. A colleague of mine, who was in the marketing department (she was just playing Candy Crush all day long most of the times) came to me with a purely illogical and physically impossible request, for a packaging. I've had the pleasure of such an experience. Upvotes Follow Unfollow 3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017 ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |