Regional wines in national spotlight
Latest wine-quality ratings have placed Grampians Wine Region in the industry’s national spotlight, prompting a tourism leader to urge people to ‘come and see for themselves’.
Wines from the region feature prominently in the latest edition of the James Halliday Wine Companion, a publication many in the industry as well as wine connoisseurs consider an accurate measure of standards.
Grampians Tourism chief executive Marc Sleeman said it was exciting that Grampians wines continued to excel in what was always a tough and highly competitive market.
“When it comes to James Halliday ratings, less than eight percent of the 800 wineries in Victoria gain a five-star rating. Yet in the Grampians region, more than 50 percent have five-star ratings,” he said.
“That provides a pretty clear indication that when it comes to quality, we rate really highly.”
Mr Sleeman, on reading through the ratings, said he felt compelled to urge people to see the wineries and taste their products for themselves.
He called on people across the region, as well as general wine lovers, to ‘jump on board’ and celebrate the continued success of the region in creating top-quality wine. He said there would be no better time to explore what the region offered than during a Seriously Shiraz Festival on September 1 and 2.
“These are some of the best wineries in Australia and they are right here on our doorstop,” he said.
“An added bonus for all of us in the region is that if we go and sample and buy some of these wines, we also support local industry.
“It’s really quite exciting and why we’re focusing on wine makers and wines in our region.
“Considering what we’ve learned, the Simply Shiraz festival comes at a perfect time.
“Sometimes we can take what’s in our own back yards for granted, but when we talk about James Halliday Wine Companion, we’re talking about the bible of wines in Australia. And this continues to place the wine products from the Grampians at the top of the tree.”
Rich history
Mr Sleeman said while the rating success was exciting, people in the region should not be surprised considering the history of the industry in this region.
“I don’t think many people realise that some of the vines planted around the Concongella and Great Western area and still producing, date back to the 1850s,” he said.
“But what we’ve noticed in examining Halliday’s assessments is that it is not only the well-established wineries that are experiencing great results – it’s also the relative newcomers that are developing and growing their reputations.
“For example, to have Fallen Giants at Halls Gap rate so highly as a five-star winery, just blows me away. It means they are right up there with the best.”
Wineries with at least two wines that rate a Halliday score above 95 out of 100 receive five red stars.
Five Grampians wineries topped the rating and two others had a slightly less rating of five black stars. Fallen Giants, Grampians Estate, Mount Langi Ghiran, Best’s and Seppelt all had five stars and Norton Estate and Subrosa were close behind.
“So often the Grampians can be overlooked as a wine region, so let’s start screaming it from the mountain tops about what we have here,” Mr Sleeman said.
“And if it’s a country cellar-door experience you’re after, this is readily available. In providing a unique experience in the Grampians, buyers and visitors can still meet the people who make the wines. In other places the industry has become very commercial.
“We are producing a very downto-earth product that is gaining momentum and increasing visitation throughout the region.”