Visiting the Macedon Ranges, a cool-climate Australian wine region making some exciting wines (1) introduction
Website: https://www.macedonrangeswine.com.au/
Macedon Ranges is a small, cool-climate region in Victoria, about an hour’s drive north of Melbourne. At altitudes ranging from 300-800 m, this is quite a marginal climate, and it has a strong claim to being the coolest wine region in mainland Australia (Tasmania gets colder).
The modern story of Macedon dates back to the late 1960s when Tom Lazar planted vines at Virgin Hills, and a few years later in 1971, Gordon Knight planted vines at Granite Hills. A few more wineries joined the party in the 1970s (Romsey and Gisborne Peak Winery), and then the early 80s saw more arrivals (Hanging Rock, Rochford, Portree and Roseberry Hill). Now there are some 40 wineries operating here, with the most famous being Bindi. But this is a small region: altogether, there are just 215 hectares of vines planted.
The cool climate favours Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and there are some excellent examples of both being made here. Other things are grown, but these are the stars.
I made a brief visit in November 2024, and saw three of the leading producers in the region. First, the newcomer: Place of Changing Winds, which is a Burgundian-styled Pinot and Chardonnay focused project from Rob Walters, who imports some of the world’s leading wines into Australia through his company Bibendum.
Second, Cobaw Ridge, who I last visited 9 years ago. It’s a biodynamic project focusing on making low intervention wines, and they have quietly been going about their business, refining the wines over time to the point that they are playing in the peer group of Australia’s best producers.
And then Bindi, where Michael Dhillon is carrying on the work of his father and producing arguably Australia’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from beautifully farmed vineyards.
MACEDON RANGES
