Mornington Peninsula Facilitator Guide
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
MORNINGTON PENINSULA FACILITATOR GUIDE AUSTRALIANMornington WINE Peninsula DISCOVERED / Facilitator guide AUSTRALIAN WINE DISCOVERED EDUCATION PROGRAM The comprehensive, free education program providing information, tools and resources to discover Australian wine. To access course presentation, videos and tasting tools, as well as other programs, visit Wine Australia www.australianwinediscovered.com supports the responsible service of alcohol. For enquiries, email [email protected] Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide MORNINGTON PENINSULA Ocean Eight, Mornington Peninsula Mornington Eight, Ocean AUSTRALIAN WINE DISCOVERED Mike Aylward, Mike Australia’s unique climate and landscape have fostered a fiercely independent wine scene, home to a vibrant community of growers, winemakers, viticulturists, and vignerons. With more than 100 grape varieties grown across 65 distinct wine regions, we have the freedom to make exceptional wine, and to do it our own way. We’re not beholden by tradition, but continue to push the boundaries in the pursuit of the most diverse, thrilling wines in the world. That’s just our way. Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide MORNINGTON PENINSULA: The Mornington Peninsula is a small A STAR ON seaside region making waves with its elegant cool-climate wines. THE RISE - Diverse maritime climate and soils create an array of microsites - Around 200 small-scale vineyards and boutique producers - World-class Pinot Noir plus top- quality Chardonnay and Pinot Gris/ Grigio - Popular tourist destination and foodie hotspot MORNINGTON PENINSULA: Boutique producers A STAR ON THE RISE The Mornington Peninsula is a multi-tonal Tucked into the southern corner of mainland patchwork of around 200 small-scale Australia, the Mornington Peninsula is a vineyards, many of which are family run. small seaside region making waves with its Forward-thinking growers and winemakers elegant cool-climate wines. Its winemaking work together to produce pristine, vineyard- history stretches back to the late 1800s, but expressive fruit that requires minimal it wasn’t until the 1970s that commercial handling in the winery. production was revived and the Mornington Pinot paradise Peninsula really started to shine. Today it is One of the world’s most difficult grapes to one of Australia’s premium regions, home to grow thrives in this cool, maritime climate a collaborative community of winemakers under the care of passionate growers in intent on realising the location’s potential pursuit of perfection. The region is renowned and producing consistently world-class wine. for producing world-class Pinot Noir defined Terroir diversity by its elegance and refinement. The region’s array of meso and Melbourne’s seaside playground microclimates, ancient soils and elevations Located only 70 kilometres south-east of creates a complex network of microsites Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is capable of growing a range of varieties a popular weekend destination and one including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris/ of Australia’s food and wine hotspots. Grigio, Shiraz and Tempranillo. It offers stunning coastal views, luxury accommodation and award-winning restaurants dotted among coastal villages and hinterland hamlets. Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide TO DAY WE’LL - The history of the Mornington Peninsula - Geography, climate and soil - Viticulture - Winemaking COVER… - Prominent varieties DID YOU KNOW There’s more going on than just the grape in the Mornington Peninsula, with a number of craft breweries, cider makers and boutique distilleries offering a tempting detour from the wine trail. Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide AUSTRALIA NORTHERN TERRITORY QUEENSLAND WESTERN AUSTRALIA SOUTH AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES NEW SOUTH WALES VICTORIA MO r n i n g t on 0 500 pen insu la TASMANIA Kilometres VICTORIA SOUTH AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE Port Phillip Bay Bass Strait Western Port Bay Mornington Pen insu la Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide THE HISTORY OF THE 1970s A small band of winemakers establish a MORNINGTON modern wine industry. Baillieu Myer plants at Elgee Park in Merricks North. Nat and PENINSULA: Rosalie White build the first commercial winery at Main Ridge Estate. They have QUIET START, the council regulations changed to allow RAPID RISE cellar-door sales. Late 1800s 1980s Grapes are first planted The second wave of as Victoria’s wine market Peninsula producers make flourishes during the gold their mark. Moorooduc rush. But an economic Estate and Paringa Estate downturn and the popularity are established and become of fortified wines cause its leading wineries. temporary demise. 1990s Peninsula winemakers refine the signature varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and experiment with new varieties including Pinot Gris/ Grigio. New vineyards continue to be planted. 1982 TO DAY The Mornington Peninsula The Mornington Peninsula is Vignerons Association is a premier cool-climate region incorporated. creating world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Winemakers are spending more time in the vineyard and intervening less in the winery. Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide THE HISTORY OF THE Inspired by a visit to Château Pommard in MORNINGTON PENINSULA: Burgundy, and seeing climatic similarities, QUIET START, RAPID RISE they planted an experimental vineyard In the beginning of seven grape varieties in an old lemon The traditional custodians of the Mornington orchard in Red Hill. Their first vintage was Peninsula were the Indigenous tribe known pressed through a kitchen moulis in 1979 as the Boonwurrung people. Aboriginal and the first commercial vintage took place people occupied these lands for thousands a year later at the newly built Main Ridge of years before European settlement was Estate Winery in 1980. They also had local established near the town of Sorrento council regulations changed to allow in 1803. cellar-door sales. Late 1800s 1980s Grapes were first planted as Victoria’s wine The second wave of Peninsula producers market flourished in the excitement of the began to make their mark on Australia’s gold rush, and the Mornington Peninsula wine community. Richard and Jill McIntyre became a promising wine region. In 1886, established Moorooduc Estate in 1982, wine made with fruit from the region a small family-run winery that is now a received an honourable mention at the leading name in the region. Richard coined Intercontinental Exhibition in London. By the description “natural, with a touch of 1891, there were six registered vineyards. quality control” to describe a combination of getting top-quality fruit to the winery Unfortunately, this rising star was soon in pristine condition and doing as little as to fade, with a perfect storm causing the necessary to turn it into wine. temporary demise of the nascent wine region. The end of the gold rush led to a Also in 1982, the Mornington Peninsula severe economic downturn in Victoria, Vignerons Association was incorporated, trends favoured fortified wines over table which today holds an important role in the wines and warmer-climate regions rose to region and represents the vast majority of prominence. As a result, this cool-climate vineyards and wineries. gem of a region halted grape growing and Paringa Estate was another second-wave winemaking for nearly 80 years. pioneer that is now one of the region’s 1970s biggest names. The winery was established A small band of winemaking pioneers in 1984 by Lindsay McCall and his wife, who brought new life to the region and began to bought a derelict orchard in Paringa Road. establish a modern wine industry. In 1972, 1990s Baillieu Myer planted vines at Elgee Park The region developed further as winemakers in Merricks North with a goal of producing refined the signature varieties of Pinot high-quality, cool-climate wines like those Noir and Chardonnay, and experimented of the famous wine regions of France. A few with varieties new to the region including years later, Nat and Rosalie White planted Pinot Gris/Grigio. Vineyards continued to the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines be planted, and exciting producers such as and built the Mornington’s first commercial Kooyong, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Montalto winery at Main Ridge Estate. and Yabby Lake became additional regional drawcards. Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide Today The Mornington Peninsula’s second wave of estates have secured the region’s future and produced a new generation of winemakers committed to realising its potential. Today it is a premier cool-climate region creating world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and a range of other varieties including Pinot Gris/Grigio, Shiraz, Tempranillo and Gamay. Winemakers are spending more time in the vineyard and intervening less in the winery as they deepen their understanding of the region’s diverse soils, mesoclimates and microclimates to create wines that tell a story of this unique Australian region. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS – What might the Mornington Peninsula’s relatively short commercial history mean for its approach to viticulture and winemaking? – The region has shot to prominence in Australia – and increasingly internationally – in little more than four decades. What are the reasons for its rapid rise? Mornington Peninsula / Facilitator guide HEADLINES GEOGRAPHY, CANCLIMATE TO GO AND HERE SOIL: A DIVERSE - Vid et as dolutendamus MARITIME REGIONdoluptae necti acidem siminct atiossi ntincia derferciis reped quodit harcimaximos adi - dollaboribusJust over 70 kilometresapelign. south-east of Melbourne