Hilltops wine region – NSW
Hilltops – Click to Enlarge
The Hilltops wine region is in the centre of three other wine regions in the Southern New South Wales wine zone. It has Gundagai and Tumbarumba to the southwest and Canberra District to the southeast. At the region’s heart is the town of Young.
Winemaking here has had a volatile past. It began in 1860 when Gold brought Nichole Jasprizza to the region from his native Croatia. He prospered not on gold but by planting vines. In 1880, he sponsored three nephews to come to Australia to join the business, and by the early years of the 20th century, they were winning at the Sydney Wine Show. They extended the vineyards to 240 hectares, and wine flourished in the region.
Grape growing and winemaking continued in the area until the Second World War, when labour shortages significantly restricted activities. By 1960, the vineyards were so neglected that they were all removed, and cherries were planted. In 1969, Peter Robertson established his Barwang vineyard, where grape growing and winemaking was only a small part of his substantial property.
When McWilliams acquired the 400-hectare property in 1989, only 13 hectares were planted to vines, although even then, it was by far the largest vineyard in the region. McWilliams has since increased plantings to over 100 hectares, while Grove Estate vineyard has 100 hectares.
There are now over 600 hectares of vine throughout the region.
Thankfully, planting cherries back in the 60s proved to be very fruitful for the region. Young is now lauded as the cherry capital of Australia.
The cherry season typically runs from late November to early January, but December is when Young comes alive in celebration of this ruby red fruit. On the first weekend in December, the local landscape is painted in the glow of red and green, and the cherry orchards reach their peak. The region attracts visitors from far and wide to celebrate the National Cherry Festival.
