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Bald Hill
Ballandry Estate
Basalt Ridge
Big Shed Wines
Birthday Villa
Blackgum Estate
Braewattie
Candlebark Hill
Cassels
Chanters Ridge
Cleveland
Cobaw Ridge
Coliban Valley
Ellender Estate
Farrawell Wines
Flynn & Williams
Fryerstown Road
Gisborne Peak Winery
Glen Erin
Hanging Rock
Hawksmoor
Knight Granite Hills
Kyneton Ridge Estate
Loxley
Macedon Ridge
Metcalfe Valley
Midhill Vineyard
Moonstruck
Mount Charlie
Mount Macedon
Mount William
O'Shea & Murphy
Paramoor Winery
Portree
Rochford
Rock House
Saltwater Creek
Sandy Farm
Snodgrass Creek
Straws Lane
Teneal Creek
Tarrangower Estate
Virgin Hills
wili-wilia winery
Wombat Forest
Zig Zag Road
 

The Macedon Ranges

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  • The Macedon Ranges wine region consists of a large area of elevated plains and mountain ranges contiguous with the dominant land form of Mount Macedon. The region comprises part of the Great Dividing Range and Central Victorian Highlands.

    The Great Dividing Range forms a natural watershed dividing the region into two distinct but related areas.

    The similarities that exist between these two areas are:
    • Both areas are "Cool Climate" with temperature summations during the growing season varying from 1150 to 1300 degree days, i.e. Region 1 on the Amerine-Winkler climatic classification index;
    • They have a common development history having largely been settled by "Overlanders" between 1837 and 1840;
    • There is a common pastoral and grain growing heritage;
    • They are based on volcanic soils; and
    • They have an extensive history of hospitality as a result of being the gateway to the rich Northern Goldfields of Bendigo, Dunolly and Castlemaine.
    While these are climatic, geological and historical links between the areas North and South of the Divide there are also significant differences.

    The Southern parts around Lancefield, Gisborne and Romsey produce table wines from early ripening varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They are known for producing high quality base wine for producing sparkling wines.

    The Northern area comprising Kyneton, Metcalfe, Taradale, Malmsbury, Springhill, Glenlyon, Daylesford and Yandoit, represents a near perfect "cool climate" in which to produce the highest quality table wines being in the range 1200 to 1300 degree days. Physiological as well as sugar ripeness is reached in Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Shiraz.

    In the Northern parts many award winning table wines have been produced by Knight Granite Hills, O'Shea and Murphy, Zig Zag Road, Tarrangower Estate, Candlebark Hill and Ellender Estate. A distinctive regional Chardonnay produced by hyper-oxidation of must is made at Tarrangower Estate, Hawksmoor and Blackgum Estate.

    The Northern area consists largely of small to medium sized family owned vineyards producing "agricultural wines" made from the heart. These wines are naturally made with minimal intervention from the wine maker.

    The key phenological dates in the region are substantially similar. The characteristic of climate which is present throughout the region is cool autumns, particularly the months of April and May, which allows for steady, though at times "precarious" ripening of fruit.

    Elevation is also a feature of this region with vineyards generally being located between 400 and 600m. The bulk are around 500-550m.

    Contributions from all Macedon Ranges vignerons are welcome - to make a submission, please click here (the editor claims no responsibility for comments made).

     
       
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