Sunbury

Situated just north-west of Melbourne Airport, the Sunbury wine region includes Keilor and Sunbury, Diggers Rest, Rockbank and Bacchus Marsh. Sunbury is located 214m above sea-level and is 40 km north-west of Melbourne, or less than an hour’s drive.

The area was once occupied by the Wurundjeri people and the first European settler in the area is reputedly George Evans, who established Emu Bottom sheep station in 1836. His homestead has been restored and can be seen today, making it one of the oldest such homesteads in Victoria. Nearby is another, grander home, which has a claim to fame of another sort. It was on the oval of Rupertswood that ‘The Ashes’ were born. Soon after the historic and successful Australian tour of England in 1882, at which English cricket was declared dead and its ashes to be taken to Australia, the English team made a return tour. It was during this tour that a social match took place at Rupertswood Oval and when the English team won, Lady Janet Clarke, the mistress of the house, presented the ashes of a bail to the English captain; for most of the time since then, the tiny urn containing these ashes has been kept at Lords.

The Sunbury wine region is one of the oldest in Victoria, with vines first being planted in the 1860s. There were over 300 acres of vines around the Sunbury region by 1870 and the region was not affected by the phylloxera that so damaged many other Victorian wine regions in the 1890s. The region was still producing wine in the 1920s, but seems to have finally ceased after that. With the re-establishment of the wine industry in the 1980s, old vineyard properties like Craiglee and Goon Warra were also re-founded and new vineyards planted. Nowadays there are more than 20 winemakers to be found in the Sunbury region.

The Sunbury region has hot summers and cool winters, made even cooler by the strong winds that often blow up from the south. The flat terrain makes Sunbury a chilly region, with often severe frosts. Limited rainfall also makes irrigation necessary in most places. However, a warm dry autumn reduces the risk of fungal disease.

Sunbury region's prime varieties are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. These are produced by wineries, many of which have a cellar door that are easy to find near the Calder or Melton Highways.

Galli Estate, established in 1997 by Lorenzo and his wife Pamela at Rockbank is on a 100 acre vineyard. The vineyard is planted predominantly with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, as well as some Cabernet Franc, and Semillon. It is planned that the Galli Estate will one day produce around 12,000 cases every year. Thus far Galli Estate wines have won Gold and Bronze medals for Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold for Pinot Grigio, three Bronze for Shiraz, as well as Bronze for Chardonnay and Sangiovese.

Rose Creek Estate is a vineyard of a different scope and intent. It can be found behind houses on a 3ha block just above Rose Creek, a tributary of the Maribyrnong. There you will find fruit trees, hens and 3000 netted vines surrounded by olive trees. The Siciliano's established the Rose Creek Estate based on their home town in Italy, Varapodio. The family feel combined with Italian cuisine gives a sense of luxurious living.

One of the most historic of the vineyards of the Sunbury region is the Goona Warra Vineyard. This beautifully sited vineyard has an original 1860's bluestone winery that has been fully restored as a venue for weddings and private functions, as well as cellar door sales. The original Goona Warra was established in 1863 by an early Premier of Victoria, J.G. Francis, who planted a vineyard on terraces on the slopes of Jackson's Creek. This vineyard went the way of so many at that time but has been re-established since 1983.

In order to enjoy some of this fine food and wine, just attend the next regional wine tasting and tasting dinners that are a feature of the Sunbury Wine Festival in August. Also worth attending are the Dilkara Arts Festival is held at the Boilerhouse Arts Centre in February, the Sunbury Fair in March, the Arts Society Exhibition in May, and the Sip-n-Sup Wine Festival, also in August,

One of the sights to see while in Sunbury, and already mentioned as the birthplace of the Ashes, is 'Rupertswood', a 50 room mansion with a 30-metre tower, stained-glass windows, and a ballroom. Built in 1874 for Sir William Clarke, whose father was said to be the richest man in Victoria, the house is surrounded by grand gardens. The estate even had its own railway siding and Sir William housed the Rupertswood Battery of Horse Artillery on the estate for many years. All this can still be seen on Macedon St and tours are available.

The Sunbury region is well known for its elegant Chardonnay and full flavoured Shiraz.

Also found in the region are excellent Pinot Noir, often with an earthy flavour, and Cabernet Franc, which does well in dry years.