Upper Gouldburn

The Upper Goulburn is to be found in the central Victorian High Country. This is one of the state’s most beautiful wine regions with sights such as Lake Mountain, Lake Eildon, and the Upper Goulburn River to enjoy. Towns of the area include Yea, Alexandra, Eildon and Mansfield, and are 120km or only an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne.

The high country of the Upper Goulburn was early used by cattlemen and sheep graziers for their herds in the summer months and it is this country that can claim to be the home of Banjo Paterson's colt from Old Regret. One run of this kind was called Eildon station, a name chosen by the owners because of a perceived similarity with the Eildon Hills in Scotland. Even at these high levels gold seekers soon arrived in the 1850s, leading to the establishment of the town of Darlingford (named after the then Governor of Victoria, Charles Darling). Located where the Big and Goulburn Rivers meet, it at one time had numerous hotels, a log gaol, post office and even a small school.

Unlike more agricultural areas in Victoria, the Upper Goulburn region does not have any 19^th century history of vine cultivation. It was only in the 1960s that the planting of vines came to the area. This was when Robert Richie began growing grapes on his property of Delatite.

The Upper Goulburn region is where the Goulburn River begins in the snow covered Alps of the southern end of the Great Dividing Ranges. While generally taking in high altitudes and rough mountain country, the region contains a variety of micro-climates as it runs from Tallarook (as in, “Things are crook in Tallarook”) and Yea, to Eildon along the Goulburn River, and from Glenburn to Mansfield near Mt Buller. Overall the region is dry and its low summer rainfall makes irrigation a must. Wine growing takes place along both the Goulburn and Broken rivers, generally on the on the western side and up to the 800m snow line.

The cool temperatures and low humidity produces a very fine Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer and other grape varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Merlot and Shiraz. These wines are produced through the Upper Goulburn region by such wineries as the Delatite Winery, the oldest of the Upper Goldburn’s wineries and a small family winery established by Robert and Vivienne Ritchie in 1982. Since 2001, the Ritchies have followed biodynamic practices in all fields of their vineyard operations. The winery itself overlooks the vineyards toward Mt Buller. Another is Kinloch Wines established in 1996 and found in the tiny village of Booroolite, near Mansfield. Another small family vineyard, it is owned by Malcolm and Susan Kinloch and has beautiful views from its position on slopes of the Great Dividing Range looking towards Mansfield. Snobs Creek Estate is also a fine winery well worth looking at. It is located some 5 kms downstream from Lake Eildon on the Goulburn River.

Much of the wines and other produce of the Upper Goulburn can be enjoyed at the High Country Harvest Festival, a two day celebration in March every year. Such regional produce such as trout, game meat and berries can be found at this festival, or at other times in the regions many restaurants. Berries can also be found at pick-your-own berry farms, which often sell ice creams, jams, sauces and wine made from their berry crop. Honey in handmade pots and jars, and increasingly olives can also be found.

A special visit is worth making some of the Upper Goulburn’s smaller towns. One such is Bonnie Doon, a small village located on the Maroondah Highway. Bonnie Doon was originally located where Lake Eildon now is. While most of the town needed to be relocated, including many buildings that were physically shifted, others were able to stay where they were. The addition of Lake Eildon turned Bonnie Doon into a lovely tourist town for with a range of water activities. Perhaps most famously, Bonnie Doon was the favourite holiday destination of the characters in the film, ‘The Castle’.

The interestingly named Howqua is another of the regions gems transformed by the flooding that produced Lake Eildon in the 1950s. The original plan was that it would take five years for the lake to fill, but a very wet winter left workers scrambling to complete a bridge to Howqua before the town became cut off. Another of Ned Kelly’s drinking spots, the Carriers Arms Inn was saved from the rising waters only to be burnt down some 15 years ago. Though when the waterline drops during dry weather some of the other old buildings of Howqua can be seen to emerge again.

The cool climate of the Upper Goulburn wine region is particularly suited to the production of high quality sparkling wine, as well as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. This last named wine is one of the few wines that can be happily enjoyed with Asian cuisine. In general the white wines of the Upper Goulburn are crisp and aromatic, while the reds are elegant and full bodied.