Yarra Valley - Victoria's Cool Climate Gem
Just east of Melbourne in Victoria, the Yarra Valley is one of Australia's most celebrated cool climate wine regions and one of its oldest. In 1838 this became the site of Victoria's first vineyard, a vineyard that would go on to produce the southern hemisphere's first Grand Prix winner at the Paris Exhibition in 1889. After a long dormant period through the mid-20th century, the region was revived from the 1960s onwards and has since established itself as the home of some of Australia's finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The Climate
Annual temperatures range from an average of 14°C in winter to 26°C in summer, making it slightly cooler than Bordeaux but slightly warmer than Burgundy. The region is one of the southernmost appellations of the Australian mainland, exposed to Southern Ocean weather patterns, which keeps temperatures moderate even at the height of summer, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and develop real complexity.
The Wines
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay currently account for 76 percent of the total harvest by weight and for good reason. Pinot Noir ranges from light to medium-bodied with typical flavours of plum, strawberry and cherry. Chardonnay tends toward stone fruit and minerality in the cooler Upper Yarra sites, elegant, precise and more Burgundian in style than the fuller cool expressions from warmer regions.
