Swan Hill

The Murray River flows through the centre of the Swan Hill wine region, from Haysdale in the north, to Kyalite in NSW, and then back to the town of Swan Hill. Swan Hill town is on the south bank of the Murray River, just downstream from the Loddon River’s junction with it, and is 340 kms or a 4 hour drive from Melbourne.

The area was inhabited by the Wemba Wemba and Wati Wati people, and Swan Hill was called ‘Matakupaat’ or ‘place of the Platypus’ by the Wemba Wemba people. The area was given its current name by the ubiquitous explorer Thomas Mitchell, in 1836.

A community soon grew up around a punt crossing at the only crossing for 100 km. The advent of paddle steamers increased the significance of Swan Hill. In the case of Swan Hill they arrived dramatically as part of a race to prove the Murray River navigable from it mouth up as far as Swan Hill. In 1853, the paddle steamer Lady Augusta beat the Mary Ann by 4 hours. With the introduction of the railway in 1890 and a bridge in 1896, both paddle steamers and punts ceased to be part of Swan Hill’s history. Though interesting things did continue to happen in Swan Hill, such as the growing of the first commercial rice crop in Australia by Isaburo Takasuka in 1914.

Too dry, it was not until the coming of irrigation in the late 19^th and early 20^th century that grape growing came to the Swan Hill region. At first the grapes were for making sultanas and perhaps some fortifieds. The first winery in Swan Hill region was St Andrews in 1930, established by the Thomson family and still operating.

In summer the rainfall of the Swan Hill region is quite low and the temperature high, making irrigation from the plentiful Murray River essential. Autumn is also warm with chilly evenings, and winter mild with cold nights. All this means that, like the Riverina in NSW and the Murray-Darling region, disease risks are low and frost not a concern.

A range of grape varieties are grown, with, however, an emphasis on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as fortified varieties such as Muscat Gordo Blanco, Semillon and Colombard. Much of this is grown by the Brown Brothers, whose vineyard at Mystic Park produces table wines and fortifieds. The two biggest wineries in the region are Andrew Peace and R. L. Buller. The region also has many boutique wineries that produce excellent Cabernet, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Riesling, as well as Italian varieties such as Durif and Sangiovese. Many of the wineries have cellar doors that can be found along the Golden Mile Wine Trail, which runs from north to south of the Swan Hill region.

Oak Dale Wines is a carefully managed concern where the vines are hand pruned to bring about lower cropping levels. Grapes are then harvested by hand before being crushed on the estate. Individual grape bunches are inspected for pests or diseases. The fresh crush is taken to the Mornington Peninsular where primary fermentation takes place. Then hand pressing using a basket press takes place, before American and French oak is used for aging.

Equally careful is Lewison Estate Wines, which has always adopted a low chemical usage policy and followed the Organic Herb Growers Associations of Australia code of conduct. Rather than chemical fertilisers, a combination of many aerobic, anaerobic and fungi micro-organisms are sprayed on the foliage and soil. Composting provides natural nutrients and improves the flavours and colour of the grapes. Finally, limited irrigation limits fruit volume while enhancing quality. For its efforts Lewison Wines has received Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the Swan Hill and Eltham Wines Shows.

The Swan Hill region is part of the Murray-Darling area and so, as you would expect, in addition to wines, it has a plentiful supply of high quality local produce. Much of this can be enjoyed in the city of Swan Hill itself, which is host every October to the Australian Inland Wine Show. Here wines made from grapes of the four ‘inland’ regions, Riverland (S.A.), Murray/Darling and Swan Hill (Vic.) and Riverina (N.S.W) are highlighted.

Another big plus for Swan Hill town is that it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest fruit salad. The fruit salad was mostly made from local stone fruit and weighed 5.7 tonnes. Another Swan Hill history note, of a perhaps more orthodox kind, was established when the Burke and Wills expedition reached Swan Hill in 1860. They made Camp XV by the banks of the Murray River and reportedly planted a Moreton Bay Fig tree. The tree is now some 27 metres high and can be seen in Curlewis Street.

For even more history the Pioneer Settlement Museum, the first outdoor museum in Australia, is worth a look. Here can be seen thousands of historic items, relocated buildings, and agricultural machinery. Free rides on a horse and cart or an old Dodge car are available as you move around. A Kaiser Stereoscopic Theatre, built in Germany in 1890, allows you to see 3D pictures, or you can have your own wanted poster printed. For a final piece of history you can cruise the Murray River itself on the Paddle Steamer Pyap.

The Swan Hill region produces a wide range of wines but its big wineries ensures it is best known for Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its Chardonnay is soft, with an easy-drinking style. Swan Hill Shiraz is a medium bodied red, while the region’s Cabernet Sauvignon is medium weight with a fine palate.