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Welcome to Yarra Valley Wine!
Yarra Valley Wine
A picture book region of terroir producing great wines, the Yarra Valley is a landscape of boundless beauty. This rustic wine region is situated an hour drive from the busy Melbourne Central Business District. It is also boasting with numerous rows of grapevines which are attractively planted on the massive tracts of its agricultural lands covering huge areas of hills and valleys.
Officially located in the Port Phillip Zone, the Yarra Valley borders on the towns of Cockatoo and Emerald to the south; the Yarra River to the East; and the Plenty River to the west. All these rivers then flow through its center and going to Melbourne. Most vineyards and wineries are concentrated around the towns of Yarra Glen, the historical Lilydale, Healesville, and Coldstream. The valley is also surrounded with ranges having 50-400 meter altitudes, of which include Dandenongs, Plenty Ranges, and the Great Dividing Range.
The Yarra Valley’s wines are dominated by major grape varieties such as the red and white varieties. The red varieties are dominated by Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz. On the other hand, the white varieties are dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Semillon. The Valley also has a growing reputation of producing high quality sparkling wines.
For those who are looking for vinous pleasures other than the classic varietals, the Valley provides numerous rich pickings that will surely suit everyone’s taste. With approximately a hundred wineries all over the Valley, all but a few can be described as medium or small.
There are some great Yarra Valley Tours available to get the most out of your next visit to this beautiful region.
Vegas Coupons recently listed a Rock an Roll Wine Event, that sounds pretty interesting. Won’t be anything like the Yarra Valley region, but will have a lot of different wines.
Historical Background
The Yarra Valley has developed the ethos of hospitality and wine industry through challenging times of heartbreaking natural events and unpredictable wind of economic downturns. 1837 marked the start of the wine industry’s journey in the region. It was when the three brothers named Donald, James, and William Ryrie established a livestock property in Yering Station. They also planted vines which were documented as the first vineyard in Victoria. After a few years, immigrants from Germany and Switzerland settled in the region. They planted profitable amounts of wine grapes and built wineries. Amongst them are Yerinberg, Yering, and St. Huberts. In 1800, the Yarra Valley’s reputation had been anchored in the wine industry and in the international approbation.
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In 1890s, the economic depression came and the region’s wine industry deteriorated since then and gone worst in 1920s when the last winery stopped its operations. Fortunately, the industry was saved by medical doctors in 1960s. Dr. John Middletown established the Mount Mary vineyard and became the pioneer for the second wave. 1980 marked the arrival of the third wave, of which includes Chandon’s Domaine Chandon, de Bortoli, James Halliday, and the prestigious Moet. Despite the tough times from the previous years, the harvest in 2009 is going stronger and true to its history the Yarra Valley is reviving.
The latter part of the 20th century marked the Valley’s phenomenal growth. With a hundred hectares of vineyards, the Yarra Valley is a home to many huge wine companies in Australia.