Like many wine regions, Geelong is a region of several distinct parts, each with its own soils, mesoclimate and winemakers.
The region has a long history, but the ‘modern’ wine industry really only dates back to the mid 1970s The Moorabool Valley is where the most famous vineyards are (Wine By Farr, Bannockburn Vineyards, Lethbridge Wines, Clyde Park). This is just outside Geelong to the north-west, on the road to Ballarat, and the vineyards follow the lazily running Moorabool River. The original vineyards are clustered near the village of Bannockburn. If there is a link with Bannockburn in New Zealand’s Central Otago, it’s that both were gold mining centres in the 19th Century around the same time. The soil here is low-fertility alluvial and the climate is warmer and drier—less maritime— than the Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast. Sutherland’s Creek is a little further east, on the edge of the Moorabool Valley, where conditions are similar. Austin’s is the biggest winery there, and interesting newer players include Mulline.
2. The Bellarine Peninsula curls around the water on the opposite side of Port Phillip Bay from the Mornington Peninsula, the two almost meeting up at Port Phillip Heads, a narrow opening which gives ships access to the ports of Geelong and Melbourne. The climate is cooler and wetter and the soils more fertile than the Moorabool. Well established producers include Scotchman’s Hill,
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
