The Victorian wine road trip you’ve never heard of
Brilliantly scenic with MAJESTIC mountains and cool-climate VINEYARDS, the Grampians is a great option for an ESCAPE. THE GRAMPIANS mountains rise out of the Wimmera Plains as a beacon for nature and adventure lovers, but the region also hosts an expandin
MT LANGI GHIRAN
Sitting at the southern end of the Great Dividing Range, this is one of Australia’s most scenic vineyards and a place that has elevated peppery cool-climate shiraz to the pinnacles of Australian wine. Enjoy the view from its cafe or, better still, take one of its vintage bikes on a picnic ride through the vineyard, or have a game on the bocce court. 80 Vine Rd, Bayindeen; langi.com.au
Clayfield Wines
The village of Moyston is famous in Victorian wine lore, and since 1999 it’s hosted this micro-winery where the emphasis of owners Simon and Kaye Clayfield is 100 per cent on high-quality shiraz, using traditional winemaking principles, including a trusty handoperated press. The experience is personalised as the cellar door is by appointment only. 25 Wilde Lane, Moyston, clayfieldwines.com
ATR WINES
Adam Richardson explores many strands of cool-climate wine in his secluded boutique vineyard, producing stalwarts (shiraz and riesling) alongside unusual varieties for the Grampians, including nebbiolo, durif and tannat, plus unique combinations such as Hard Hill Road The Field, a blend of four red and two white grapes. 103 Hard Hill Rd, Armstrong, atrwines.com.au
Best’s Great Western
If Best’s underground cellar seems mysterious – with dusty barrels in dark corners – there’s more mystery in the vineyard with vines so old that the Thomsons – only the second owners in Best’s 150-year history – can’t identify every variety. Nevertheless, Best’s still make a white and a red from this mélange. Besides its main range of sterling shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and riesling, its rare pinot meunier is much lauded. 111 Bests Rd, Great Western; bestswines.com
GRAMPIANS ESTATE
This has some of the oldest vines in Australia, including shiraz (planted in 1878) and riesling (1883), imbuing the wines with great character. The winery also does a Great
Western classic, sparkling shiraz, and is adding warmer-climate varieties such as grenache and tempranillo to the mix. The cafe menu features a rich pie using their own lamb. 1477 Western Hwy, Great Western, grampiansestate.com.au
Royal Mail Hotel
The concept of the country pub changed forever when a local family revamped the Royal Mail Hotel in 1997, and it’s now known around the world for supreme dining and the breadth and depth of its 25,000-bottle cellar. Settle into a dreamy degustation at Wickens and see how wines from the Grampians region stand up to the best international vintages. Or relax at the casual Parker Street Project. 99 Parker St, Dunkeld, royalmail.com.au
POMONAL ESTATE
This estate in tiny Pomonal is a one-stop gourmet Grampians delight. Prime regional elements come together in sumptuous tasting boards and individual menu items. The wines (sourced from Grampians’ affiliates until its own young vines start producing), plus beer and cider made by owners Pep and Adam Atchison, are sampled in curated flights, including a wine and chocolate match. 2079 Pomonal Rd, Pomonal, pomonalestate.com.au
Seppelt
This 19th-century wine estate is the showcase for one of the venerable names in Australian wine. The iconic St Peters vineyard has vines established from the original 1867 root stock, with Seppelt still making a St Peters Shiraz. But for many generations of wine drinkers, Seppelt means sparkling wine, both red and white. The Seppelt underground cellars and museum is a trip down memory lane. 36 Cemetery Rd, Great Western, seppelt.com.au
PIERREPOINT
This southern Grampians vineyard sticks to pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris, including sparkling and late-harvest pinot gris styles. The sparkling gris goes beautifully with its indulgent high tea. The property is also home to what owners the Laceys call their menagerie: a dog, cats, a retired horse and plenty of sheep, ducks, geese and chickens. 271 Pierrepoint Rd, Hamilton, pierrepointwines.com.au
Barangaroo Wines
Fourth-generation local farmer Chris McClure and wife Sheila have a philosophy of making expressive and approachable wines to be enjoyed in beautiful surroundings, so they’ve also strived hard to create a lush garden in their corner of the north-west Grampians. Among their offerings is the aromatic Italian variety vermentino, in dry and sparkling forms. 928 Plush Hannans Rd, Lower Norton, barangaroowines.com.au
NORTON ESTATE
The soil in this patch of north-west Grampians has outstanding potential, and the Spence family make the most of it with shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc. They make only 25 dozen of their hallmark Wendy’s Block Shiraz each year, to ensure quality, while their sauvignon blanc gets a touch of oak. 758 Plush Hannans Rd, Lower Norton, nortonestate.com.au