Hilltops wiNe region

This wine region is centred around the township of Young in Southern New South Wales.

Drying grapes for Secco style at Freeman Vineyards

This wine region is part of the Southern New South Wales Zone, along with the nearby regions of Canberra District, Gundagai and Tumbarumba.  Just to the north lie the regions of Cowra and Orange

Young was a gold producing area in the nineteenth century and like many other Gold-Era towns it had a wine industry established by the 1860s.

The modern era of winemaking in the area dates back to the establishment of the Barwang Vineyard in 1969. This vineyard is now owned by the large McWilliams wine company, but there is also a good representation of smaller operators in the region.

The altitude of the region, around 450 m, and its inland position provide good conditions for the production of quality wines, especially dry reds. The reputation of the region is steadily growing.  Several wineries in other regions source fruit from Hilltops. The list of producers below doesn't tell the full story of the value of local vineyards.

The area around Young is used for a variety of horticultural purposes including the production of cherries and plums for drying into prunes.

Freeman vineyard use the local prune dehydrating facilities to partially dry Corvina and Rondinella grapes, a technique similar  to that used to make Amarome wines in Italy.

Early in 2024 Freeman released dry white wine made from the Furmint variety.

Wineries and varieties in the Hilltops Region

• Ballinaclash Fiano, Touriga
• Chalkers Crossing Tempranillo
• Corang Estate Tempranillo
• Freeman Vineyards Aleatico, Corvina, Fiano, Harslevelu, Nebbiolo, Prosecco, Rondinella, Sangiovese, Tempranillo
• Grove Estate Wines Barbera, Fiano, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Montepulciano, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Zinfandel
• Lockwood Wines Tempranillo
• Moppity Vineyards (and Cato) Albarino, Fiano, Gamay, Graciano, Gruner Veltliner, Tempranillo
• Trandari Nebbiolo
• Woodonga Hill Gewurztraminer, Meunier, Touriga

NSW Wineries on Pinterest

Vinodiversity's Wine Merchant partner carries a number of wines made from grapes grown in this region. You can make up your own mixed pack to get an idea of the quality of the wines grown here.

Visiting the Hilltops Region

This region is a couple of hours north of Canberra and about five hours from Sydney. If you wish to find accommodation in the region you should check out this service which combines the several booking agencies to get you the best deal/

The Trandari Vineyard in Hilltops

Subscribers to Vinodiversity Community get invites to Darby's Special Taste and Talk Sessions. 

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