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Strathbogie Ranges Wine Region
Although the Strathbogie Ranges are just an hour or so from Melbourne the countryside is wild and largely uninhabited, although it does contain some small settlements with such evocative names as Dropmore, Boho South, Terip Terip and Ruffy. This wine region is based on a granitic range along the inland side of the Great Dividing range in Central Victoria. Its North-western border roughly corresponds to the Hume Highway between Seymour and Benalla. This edge of the region is roughly 160m above sea level, and abuts the Goulburn Valley Wine Region. The higher vineyards in the region are planted to about 600m and thus much cooler, in fact they share a boundary with the Upper Goulburn Region. The region is thus cool climate and many sites are suitable for sparkling wine production and Riesling. As in all granite areas the soils in this region are sandy and often have low fertility, thus providing a basis for successful viticulture. Modern viticulture in the region was pioneered by the Plunkett family and by Dr Peter Tisdell who established the Mount Helen Vineyard. Several new wineries have been established over the past decade or so. There are quite a number of large vineyards which provide fruit to wineries outside the region, for example Domain Chandon uses cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from this region for its sparkling wines. No doubt we will be hearing more about this region in the future. Few wineries in the region have cellar doors, although the region abuts the busiest highway in rural Victoria it is largely wild and uninhabited. Plunkett wisely has its cellar door on the highway at Avenal on the very edge of the Region. These wineries in the Strathbogie Ranges Wine Region use alternative varieties
Wineries from the Strathbogie Ranges Wine Region feature at the Victorian Regional Wineries Showcase
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