The region is bounded to the West by the Pyrenees Wine Region, to the South by the Ballarat and Macedon Ranges wine regions and to the east by the Heathcote Wine region.

Wine and Gold

The history of the Bendigo Wine Region follows a familiar pattern. As one of the major goldfields in the mid nineteenth century the city was quickly established and surrounding land was settled.

Current Weather in Bendigo

As the city grew a considerable number of vineyards were planted, often by German or French settlers. When the easily obtained gold ran out the diggers looked for other occupations, sucha s farming. Some planted Bendigo's first vineyards.

By 1880 there were about 600 acres under vines in the district, but they were all wiped out before the end of the century by the Phylloxera infestation.

In the late 1960s Stuart Anderson pioneered the rebirth of the wine industry in this region with the establishment of the Balgownie Vineyard. Others have followed so that there are now over thirty wineries in the region. Like the nearby Heathcote region, Bendigo produces wonderful shiraz.

Each year the local Vignerons Association puts together the ‘Bendigo dozen’ all shiraz, from local wineries. But there is more to the Bendigo region.

A few of the winemakers are using Viognier in co-pigmentation blends to give the shiraz a brighter and more durable colour. This is not blending, the grapes are mixed before crushing and fermentation. The climate is warm, attempts to use Pinot noir in the region have failed.

It seems that in future of alternative varietal wines in the region will come from Spanish and Rhone varieties and perhaps some interesting varieties from Southern Italy. Some growers have successfully pioneered Sangiovese and Tempranillo.

Sutton Grange Winery is keen to develop some Southern Italian varieties, hence their planting of Aglianico and Fiano. Although the Yandoit Hill and Glenwillow wineries are in this region the climate is somewhat cooler than most of the other areas in the Bendigo region and they have moved further into varietal diversity.

Australian Wine Region Maps has a map of wineries in the Bendigo region

• Avonmore Estate Sangiovese
• Bendigo Wine Estate Petit verdot, Verdelho
• Big Hill Vineyard Verdelho
• Blamires Butterfly Crossing Viognier
• Blanche Barkly Refosco
• Chaperon Wines Grenache, Mourvedre
• Connor Park Barbera, Durif, Marsanne, Mourvedre, Sangiovese
• Glenwillow Vineyard Barbera, Nebbiolo
• Harcourt Valley Malbec
• Kangderaar Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Touriga
• Langanook Wines Viognier
• Pondalowie Malbec, Tempranillo, Touriga, Viognier
• Pyramid Gold Mourvedre
• Sandhurst Ridge Nebbiolo
• Sutton Grange Winery Aglianico, Fiano, Sangiovese, Viognier
• Tannery Lane Nebbiolo, Sangiovese
• Turners Crossing Vineyard Picolit, Viognier
• Waterwheel Wines Malbec, Roussanne
• Welshmans Reef Vineyard Tempranillo
• Yandoit Hill Winery Arneis, Barbera, Nebbiolo

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