Regional Summary – by Matt
There is something very special about the Strathbogie Ranges. Forged 440 million years ago by brutal forces, this granite mountain rose up out of the ocean over millennia. As this rugged mountain rose up over such an unimaginably long period, the sedimentary soil gradually washed off the hilltops and into the surrounding valleys, leaving at the top of the mountain a harsh rocky outcrop. It is into this rocky outcrop we plant our vines!
When you think about the Strathbogie Ranges in the context of other notable Victorian wine regions – like the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Heathcote – it is much more elevated and further from the ocean. This is important for a few reasons. The elevation means the region is cooler and windier. The absence of maritime influence means the region is drier during the growing season. These attributes, together, mean the region has very low disease pressure eliminating the need for heavy spray regimes. In short, this helps us grow high quality fruit without unwanted inputs. We are very ‘light touch’ winemakers and our mantra is to ‘farm in nature’s image’.
The special combination of the ancient granite soil, the elevation and lack of moisture during the growing season, makes the ‘Bogies’ a very special place to grow grapes. In a funny way, the region is harsh but kind – the harshness helps restrain the vine’s natural inclination to grow with extraordinary vigour, making the vines spend less time growing leaves and canopy (as they would in more fertile regions) and more time putting energy into the fruit which nurtures the seed – the biological guarantee of the species.
These circumstances together – the ancient granite, the elevation, the relative absence of moisture during the growing season – have helped us achieve our Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification which we did in late 2023. We are very proud of this certification which is a reflection of the approach we take in both the vineyard and the winery.