Alpine Valley

The Alpine Valleys is a cool climate wine region centered on the town of Myrtleford, and including the villages of Porepunkah (Hindu for ‘gentle breeze’) and Bright. Most of the wineries and vineyards of the Alpine Valleys region can be found along the Ovens River. Myrtleford itself is 290 kms or a three and a half hour drive from Melbourne.

The Aboriginal people who lived in the Alpine Valley region met regularly in summer to gather the Bogong moths that appear each year and the Kiewa River is named after the local aboriginal word for ‘sweet water’. The region first attracted graziers and then became more intensely settled in the 1850s after gold discoveries brought more people to the area. The town of Bright was first called Ovens Township and was the original centre of the district. After the gold ran out much farming was devoted to tobacco growing but the gradual decline of this industry has seen many farmers switching to planting grapes. The Alpine Valley was also extensively settled by Italian people, many of them ex-prisoners of war, in the years after World War Two.

The Alpine Valleys’ wine history dates back to the 1850s when it is reported a number of grape varieties were brought to the region from Adelaide by a Mr Rochlitz. After this, the number of vineyards grew until, as elsewhere, a combination of phylloxera in the 1890's and a decline in demand for wine in general saw most vineyards disappear. The Brown Brothers maintained some production until the 1970s, ceasing just as the modern expansion of the wine industry began as wine drinking once again became more generally popular. This new phase commenced in the 1980’s when the Bailey and Michelini families planted small acreages that they soon expanded. Today the Alpine Valleys region has over 1,000 acres of vines planted by eight wineries.

The Alpine Valleys region contains two major rivers, the Ovens and the Kiewa, which both flow from the Victorian Alps and continue on down to the Murray River. Overall the Alpine Valleys region is relatively high, from 180m up to 600m, from north to south. The climate is greatly influenced by the Victorian Alps, from which cooler air often moves down through the valleys and frost is often a risk.

Such varieties as Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are all produced in fine vintages by the cool climate Alpine Valleys region. These wines are produced by small owner/operated wineries of which the Kancoona Valley Vineyard and Winery is a fine example. Owned by Joseph and Lena Birti and found in the valley of the Kiewa River, this winery can be called a true mountain vineyard with a focus on low yields but intense flavours. It is also insecticide free, and produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot by handpicking and oak barrelling methods.

Another winery of note is the Eaglerange Estate located in the aptly named Happy Valley. Eaglerange Estate is another small family winery, established in 1995 on property that has been farmed for many generations by the same family, the Ivone’s, and is now planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The name Eaglerange comes from the many eagles that live in the valley.

One of the oldest wineries in the Alpine Valley is Michelini Wines, established in 1982 on Devil’s Creek in the Buckland Valley. Planted in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Marzemino at an altitude of some 250m, this winery produces both sparkling and table wines. Michelini Wines runs its own cellar door located at Myrtleford and housed in a charming northern Italian inspired villa. The cellar door is of interest not only due to the design of its building but for its materials. Many were sourced locally to make use of as much recycled material as possible. Thus some of the wood came from the Bandianna army barracks, which had housed early migrants from Europe, bricks were obtained from an old hop kiln, and many support beams were acquired from an old bridge.

Ceccanti-Kiewa Valley Wines is another winery that makes use of its owner’s Italian heritage. As its name reveals, it is located in the beautiful Kiewa Valley and produces Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz varieties from its vineyard situated at the 450m level. Owned and operated by Angelo Ceccanti and his wife Moya, Ceccanti Wines offers Tuscan cuisine prepared at their cellar door.

The Alpine Valleys region’s many delights can be enjoyed at the International Festival in October, the Alpine Valleys Wine & Food Festival in March, and festivals held in Bright in April and October. Another advantage enjoyed by this region is its location close to major Australian ski fields, so tourists can easily combine a ski holiday with a visit to the many wineries of the region.

The cool conditions of the Alpine Valleys region means that high levels of transpiration are restricted, allowing grapes to retain their natural acids and sugars, thus creating more intense flavours. The Alpine Valleys region is best known for its excellent Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.