Kyneton Ridge aims for sustainable excellence

It is always exciting to discover a wine brand with which you are not familiar.

That is the case with Kyneton Ridge, a family operation based in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria.

Andrew and Angela Wood bought Kyneton Ridge from John Boucher and partner Pauline Russell in 2019 and their son Patrick is now the winemaker.

New to the wine business, sustainability and regenerative farming are at the heart of their project.

I enjoyed the range of wines, which had a high-acid liveliness to them across the board.

The Woods famly has added nebbiolo, riesling, more chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc to the original plantings, which are pinot noir dominant, but source their shiraz fruit from Heathcote.

Adopting a regenerative viticulture approach, they say they have improved soil microbiology with compost application, companion planting, and inter-row plantings.

Just 5.5 hectares of the property is vines, with the vast majority have been returned to natural habitat after being farmed.

The Woods have joined Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and are preparing for certification audit.

Son Patrick (pictured above with partner Greta and mother Angela) says he has a sustainability focus, using minimal inputs and adapting to specific site and growing conditions. The wines are bottled on site.

The volcanic soils are are ideal for concentrated, complex, and high-quality wines.

The winery, fermentation hall, and cellar door space is home to the Ridge Café, run by Angela Wood, and the Art Space curated by Jordan Wood.

The facility offers tutored tastings, a sharing menu, and a gallery supporting contemporary artists.

The range includes the Kyneton Ridge NV Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay ($42), 2023 Chardonnay ($38), 2023 Cabernet Rosé ($32), 2023 Skipping Rabbit Pinot Noir ($32), a 2022 Reserve Pinot Noir ($40), a 2022 Cabernet Shiraz ($30) and the 2022 Heathcote Shiraz ($40), as well as an NV Sparkling Shiraz ($40).

My favourites were the Cabernet Shiraz blend, which uses fruit from Baynton, Macedon Ranges, and Colbinabbin, Heathcote. It is a very slurpable take on Aussie claret and extremely good value. 

If you want pinot to drink now, The Skipping Rabbit is a very nifty little wine, fun and varietal and  well priced, too. Its sibling is more of a cellaring prospect.

Outstanding, as well, was the vibrant red-fruited Cabernet Rosé, which we paired with a Med-style lamburger. It proved a delicious combo. A wine best served well chilled but enticing with or without food. 

For more details see www.kynetonridge.com.au   

Say Cheese: Long Paddock Artisan Cheese in Castlemaine

Have you noticed the growing trend for boutique providores and artisans to move away from the big cities? 

Well, it’s a thing, and is no better exemplified than at The Mill in Victoria’s delightful rural hub of Castlemaine, a close but not insignificant neighbour of Bendigo, reports guest poster and GOTR regular Rod Eime. 

Wine lovers will know of the small but bountiful Heathcote wine region, featured on GOTR previously, which rejoices in a lush and verdant landscape. 

Winemakers and distillers are joined by coffee roasters, brewers, speciality butchers, chocolatiers and other crafts folk enjoying a synergistic existence in this thriving former industrial complex, the brainchild of local entrepreneur Phil McConachy.

The Mill, and Castlemaine generally, have attracted an unusually diverse population of European specialty producers, creating a thriving and creative epicurean precinct 

The Long Paddock Team (supplied)

One producer previously overlooked by this writer is Long Paddock Cheese, a small-batch producer using certified organic dairy products sourced from local farms. 

You will recall the recent kerfuffle over naming of European cheeses, well, LPC have sidestepped this debate by giving their products wholly Australian names like Silver Wattle, Driftwood and Ironbark while retaining the traditional recipes, free from industrial-scale compromises.

Ivan Larcher inspects his creations (Rod Eime)

French cheese guru Ivan Larcher and wife Julie were recruited by Alison Lansley, MD of LPC and The Cheese School, which also operates from the same premises. 

“All our cheese is hand-made in our small-scale and purpose-built fromagerie in Castlemaine sourced from strictly local organic products,” Alison tells us.

Whether you’re enjoying wine from the Heathcote region or not, LPC’s superb artisan cheeses are a perfect pairing for almost any wine you can think of. 

For example, Ironbark is a 12-month aged cooked-curd Alpine-style semi-hard cheese that would pair superbly with any cellared shiraz or cabernet sauvignon. 

With revived rail services from Melbourne to Bendigo, Castlemaine is an easy day trip any time of the year and a great opportunity to explore this wondrous locale and the many foodie delights on offer.

Getting there: V/Line Bendigo

Stay: Northern Arts Hotel (easy walk from train station and The Mill)

Eat: Breakfast at Johnny Baker. Lunch at either Das Kaffeehaus (at The Mill) for hearty Austrian fare or Origini on Barker St for authentic northern Italian cuisine. Dinner at The Cumberland Hotel.

Drink: At either Love Shack or Shed Shaker breweries (the latter in The Mill). Cocktails at Aperitivo in The Theatre Royal (next door to Love Shack)

More: Official Visitor Website || A Touch of Europe in Central Victoria

Time to shine for Heathcote wine

 

Wine lovers will be heading to Heathcote - just a short drive from Melbourne - for the Summer of Cellar Doors festival, which will run over the weekend of November 26-27 (with some extra events on December 3-4).

Wineries across the region will showcase both old and new releases as well as hosting guest producers, doing pop ups and hosting live music.

The festivities will run from 10am-4pm and advance bookings are recommended for some of the most popular events.

Among the highlights: McIvor Farm will be hosting Syrahmi Wines, Garden of Earthly Delights, Kennedy Vintners and Humis Vineyard along with serving with their porky small goods, Christmas hams and barbecued sausages.

Regional star Jasper Hill will be offering museum tastings alongside new releases, while Tellurian will be diving into their cellar and opening up some special old bottles.

Red Edge Wines will be hosting twilight tunes and a pizza party, while Mia Valley Estate will be unveiling some new releases and Shiraz Republic will be launching their premium shiraz: Old Beddy.

For details and a full program see www.heathcotewinegrowers.com.au/images/Summer_of_Cellar_Doors.pdf   

Munari: a red gem of the Heathcote region

Anyone who has travelled around Australia's wine regions will know that cellar doors are increasingly becoming destinations within themselves - and each has its own fascinating history.

Just seven kilometres from Heathcote in Victoria is the family-owned winery of Munari, with patriarch Adrian at its head. 

Founded in 1993 when it produced just a single shiraz, the Schoolhouse Red, the blocks now burst with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec and each year another Schoolhouse Red blend fills the rack.

“We want to offer easy-drinking wines of great value to those who have no tasting experience and to those who are seasoned veterans,” says Adrian. "Guests can also enjoy a light lunch or a cheese platter to accompany their tastings."

The historic property dates back to 1871 and has been owned by a succession of prominent Heachcote personalities and once sprawled to 3200 acres. 

Today, the Munari family operate on just 57 acres, but still manages to produce wines of exceptional quality from a region that features mineral-rich red soils, amongst weathered ancient volcanic greenstone. 

The soil is well known for its water retention despite being able to drain freely. Sufficient water is retained to feed the vines throughout the growing season usually without the need for supplementary irrigation.

The 2015 Schoolhouse Red is a silky-smooth blend of fruity merlot (47%), cool-climate Broadford shiraz (27%), plush cabernet (16%) and dense malbec (10%) with a rounded, luscious mouthfeel in the Munari trademark elegance for $30. 

The full range of wines includes prosecco, vermentino, grenache rosé, cabernet, red blends and dessert wines as well as Heathcote shiraz’. Be sure to taste the 94-point flagship ‘Ladys Pass’ Shiraz ($40/bottle). Book a tasting now.

Guest blogger Roderick Eime was a guest of Munari Wines