Wine

Buttermans Track
Products:
Sparkling, Riesling, Chardonnay, Rosé, Pinot Noir, Reserve Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah
Local outlets:
Cellar door, midday-5pm every Saturday and Sunday
Township/suburb:
St Andrews
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Buttermans Track Wines is owned and operated by Gary, Louise and Joel Trist. The vineyard and winery is located in the heart of St Andrews on the edge of the Yarra Valley. It was established in 1991 and produces premium quality wines with minimal chemical and technological intervention but with maximum attention.

Easthill Estate
Products:
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rose, Sparkling Chardonnay, Sparkling Cabernet
Local outlets:
Cellar door – 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, 11am-4pm
Township/suburb:
Kangaroo Ground
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Easthill Estate is a boutique cellar door in Kangaroo Ground that provides a unique rustic experience. Exquisite wines and a warm homely atmosphere provide a cellar door experience to remember. They have ‘platters by preference’ available to enhance your wine experience by selecting cheeses, crackers, dips and deli meats to create your own platter. In winter, they have a comforting wood fire inside their cellar door and, in the warmer months, tables and chairs in their grassed area overlooking the vineyard.

The vineyard has been planted in dark rich volcanic soil which nurtures and helps create exceptional wines.

Hildebrand Ridge Organic Vineyard
Products:
Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Certified Organic
Local outlets:
Cellar door – Sunday 11am – 5pm or by appointment
Township/suburb:
Cottles Bridge
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Hildebrand Ridge is dedicated to making organic wines and honouring sustainable farming. Preservative-free wines are available and sulphur preservative 220 has been eliminated from the entire range. There is live music most Sundays, 1-5pm.

Kellybrook Winery
Products:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernets, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Shiraz, Apple Brandy and Tawny Port. Also, cider and beer.
Local outlets:
Cellar door – Thursday to Monday, 10am-5pm (closed on Thursdays in Winter).
Call them (9722 1304) to find out if any sellers near you.
Local brands sold:
Cunliffe & Waters
Stone and Crow Cheese Company
Township/suburb:
Wonga Park
Municipality:
Manningham
Notes (in their own words):

Kellybrook produces a range of wines, ciders (branded Kelly Brothers) and beers (branded Riders Brew Co.). Their wines include Shiraz, Cabernets, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer, as well as Apple Brandy and Tawny Port. Their ciders include Sparkling, Apple and Pear. Their beers include Golden / Summer Ale, American Pale Ale and Porter.

Darren and Farley Kelly founded Kellybrook Winery in 1962, starting with cider and then moving onto wine in the 1970s. It was the first winery in the Yarra Valley to receive it’s Vigneron Licence and Cellar Door licence (1969) and it is one of the few wineries in the Yarra Valley still owned by the original family. Set amongst lush vineyards and historic gardens, the winery offers an authentic Yarra Valley tasting and working farm experience. A large range of wines, beers, ciders and local produce are available for tasting and sale. Picnics and grazing plates featuring local produce are also available all day. The gardens feature a 125-year-old oak tree which is listed with the National Trust, as well as roses, salvias and bulbs.

On the last Sunday of each month, ‘Sunday Sessions’ are held with live, local music from 1.30-4pm and hot food from the kitchen. Over the first weekend in May, there is the annual Kellybrook Cider Festival, soon to be in its 30th year.

Kings of Kangaroo Ground
Products:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz
Local outlets:
Cellar door – Monday to Friday (sales), 10am-5pm; Saturday (tastings), 10am-3pm; and the first Sunday of the month, midday-5pm.
Township/suburb:
Kangaroo Ground
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Ken King commenced planting his Kangaroo Ground vineyard in 1990. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties were chosen to suit the south facing site. Initially, the high quality grapes were sold to Yarra Valley wineries. In 2001, a well-equipped winery was built and the brand ‘Kings of Kangaroo Ground’ commenced. All wines are handcrafted, vegan compliant (no animal products used) and the grapes are pesticide free. Other grape varieties are now sourced from local ‘black soil’ growers and from a select vineyard in the Heathcote region. King’s passion is driven by the pursuit of excellence that can be achieved through minimalist wine-making intervention, they want their wines to be at the pinnacle of this traditional craft.

Nillumbik Estate
Products:
Pinot Chardonnay (sparkling), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Shiraz
Local outlets:
Cellar door – Saturday & Sunday, midday-5pm. Masterclasses held by appointment.
Local brands sold:
Cunliffe & Waters
Township/suburb:
Smiths Gully
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Nillumbik Estate is a family owned and operated boutique vineyard and winery in Smiths Gully. The cellar door is open every weekend and offers some of the most breath-taking views in the region across to the Kinglake Ranges, from its elevated viewing deck.

Nillumbik Estate offers an extensive range of premium wines including its estate grown Domenic’s Paddock Pinot Noir made from 20 year old hand-pruned and hand-picked vines. Pizzas and antipasto platters are also on offer.

Winemaker John Tregambe uses traditional hand-crafted winemaking techniques stretching back generations. The son of Italian immigrants who arrived in Australia in the 1950s, John’s interest in wine making was sparked when watching his father practice age-old winemaking techniques in the family home. John also holds Masterclasses providing visitors with an insight into his winemaking and viticulture styles as well as the history of Nillumbik Estate and the region. Each session includes a guided tasting of his fine wines, followed by a antipasto plate and a glass of wine on the deck.

Panton Hill Vineyard & Winery
Products:
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet-Savignon-Merlot-Franc, Chardonnay, Chardonnay Liquor, Muscat, Pinot Port, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Sparking Pinot Noir Chardonnay, Verdehlo
Local outlets:
Cellar door – weekends and public holidays, 11am-5pm; by appointment at other times
Hurstbridge Liquor
Township/suburb:
Panton Hill
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

At Panton Hill Vineyard and Winery you’ll discover beautiful buildings reminiscent of Tuscany, in a bush setting only 45 minutes from central Melbourne. In this family founded and run boutique winery you can taste a wide range of high quality, aged wines – dry, sweet, sparkling and fortified – which are totally estate produced using biological techniques. A huge open fire awaits you during the winter months or in summer, you can enjoy the beautiful courtyard. Homemade pizza and the cured olives are a menu specialty.

Petronio Wines
Products:
Arneis, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Reisling, Sangiovese, Shiraz
Local outlets:
Township/suburb:
Yering
Municipality:
Yarra Ranges
Notes (in their own words):

Petronio Wines make small batch, single vineyard wines using grapes sourced from regional Victorian vineyards. As such, the wines represent the ‘terroir’ from which they were grown and are expressive of the vintage. They have a minimal intervention approach to their wine making and all of their wines are vegan friendly.

Their wines include Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Reisling, Sangiovese and Shiraz.

Punch
Name:
Products:
Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Local outlets:
Cellar door at 10 Scott Street, St Andrews – Saturday & Sunday, midday-5pm.
Blackhearts and Sparrows, Fitzroy North
Smith Street Cellars, Collingwood

The following bars and restaurants: Anada, Fitzroy; Builders Arms Hotel, Fitzroy; Cutler & Co, Fitzroy; Easy Tiger, Collingwood; Gibsons Wine Bar, Hawthorn; Green Park Dining, Carlton; Hammer and Tong, Fitzroy; Hell of the North, Fitzroy; Hotel Lincoln, Carlton; Lee Ho Fook Restaurant, Collingwood; Mercers, Eltham; Merricote, Northcote; Pinotta, Fitzroy North; Scopri, Carlton; Tao Tao House, Hawthorn; The Post Office Hotel, Coburg; The Town Mouse, Carlton; Underwood Wine Bar, Fitzroy North; Union Dining, Richmond
Township/suburb:
St Andrews
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

In 1975, the Lance family found a beautiful twenty acres of sloping land in the hamlet of St Andrews, Yarra Valley. The soils were poor, thin and riddled with rock. The elevation was high (250m) and the site was a natural ampitheatre, perfect for capturing sunlight without excessive heat.

The family began planting in 1976. Punch began in 2005, when James & Claire Lance began leasing the vineyard and winery. Their wine labels are Punch (made with own grapes), Friends of Punch (made with others’ grapes) and Elemental.

Rob Dolan Wines
Products:
Arneis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Shiraz Merlot, Chardonnay, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz
Local outlets:
Cellar door – 7 days a week, 10am-5pm.
Dan Murphy’s
Local brands sold:
Township/suburb:
Warrandyte South
Municipality:
Manningham
Notes (in their own words):

Rob Dolan Wines make a full range of wines including Arneis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Shiraz Merlot, Chardonnay, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. They use both their own grapes and grapes from other vineyards around Victoria. Their winery and cellar door is located in leafy Warrandyte South.

Their cellar door is open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm. Here, you can experience their wines with a table-side tasting by one of their wine specialists whilst overlooking the vineyard. Wine is available for purchase by the bottle with a range of local produce also available for grazing.

Shaws Road Winery
Products:
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc and Merlot
Local outlets:
Cellar door – every third Sunday of the month, 11am-5pm or by appointment.
Hurstbridge Liquor
Township/suburb:
Arthurs Creek
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

A small family owned and operated winery in Arthurs Creek. Their philosophy is to produce premium wines from estate-grown fruit ripened to optimum levels and matured in finest quality small oak barrels.

Swipers Gully Vineyard
Products:
Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Verduzzo
Local outlets:
Cellar door (by appointment)
Township/suburb:
Kangaroo Ground
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Swipers Gully Vineyard was established by Eltham College in 2002 with the aim of creating a boutique winery with an emphasis on producing small quantities of premium wine. Their vineyard is located on a 20 acre site, on which the vines currently occupy approximately 5 acres.

Watson’s Creek Wines
Products:
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot
Local outlets:
For sale by appointment – cellar door as part of Open Cellars of Nillumbik
Township/suburb:
Kangaroo Ground
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Watson’s Creek Wines is a family-owned vineyard and winery in Kangaroo Ground, producing red wines from low-yielding, non-irrigated vines. The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Bordeaux blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec) are classic examples of the region’s fruit-driven, oak-balanced fine red wines. This small winery in a bush setting is open by appointment, and annually in October at Open Cellars of Nillumbik.

Wedgetail Estate
Products:
Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz
Local outlets:
Cellar door – 1st Sunday of every month, 9am-5pm, or by arrangement.
Dan Murphy’s
Township/suburb:
Cottles Bridge
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Established since 1994, and specialising in supplying restaurants nationally and internationally from Singapore to London, Wedgetail wines have develop a niche in the craft wine category, where quality is imperative. The amphitheatre-shaped vineyard in Cottles Bridge produces grapes of exceptional flavours. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are what their reputation lies on. Small quantities of Shiraz and Cabernet blend are also available. The winery offers spectacular views of the dramatic landscape of Nullumbik outer frontier. On the first weekend of every month the cellar door is open for tasting and food platers are on offer. Unlike most corporate wineries, the wine maker will talk you through the various wines that are open for tasting.

Yarrambat Estate Vineyard
Products:
Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay
Local outlets:
Hurstbridge Liquor
For sale by appointment
Township/suburb:
Yarrambat
Municipality:
Nillumbik
Notes (in their own words):

Within 24 hours of picking, their grapes are crushed at Hanging Rock Winery and made into wine. 12 months after picking, their white wines are released to the market and 18 months after picking the reds are ready for release. Every second year they produce a Pinot Noir/Chardonnay sparkling wine and they usually blend their Cab Sav and Merlot to make a Cabernet Merlot.