Sunbury – Click to Enlarge

Sunbury – Click to Enlarge

The Sunbury wine region forms part of Victoria’s Port Philip wine zone. The zone horseshoes around the state’s capital Melbourne and is shared with Yarra Valley,  Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and Macedon Ranges.

Just 40 minutes north of Melbourne, or 15 minutes from the airport (Melbourne Airport is technically within the region’s boundaries), it is highly accessible for a long weekend for interstate visitors. Most of its vineyards and wineries are close to the main town of Sunbury and within an easy drive of each other. The north of the region meets the Macedon Ranges around Riddells Creek.

Marginally warmer than the coastal regions, this is still a cool climate with mild to warm summer days, cool winters and crisp nights. Cool winds often blow over the plains during summer.

The oldest vines in the region date back 1850s when James Goodall Francis, a former Victorian Premier, planted vines at Goona Warra. He built the winery, but winemaking stopped in the early 1900s. The building was preserved and, in 1982, was purchased and brought back to life. It is now home to a vineyard, winery and restaurant. James Johnston followed in 1864, establishing Craiglee. He too, was a parliamentarian. The four-story stone winery still exists on the property, although the new owners have to make their wines today in a new building.

Although Cabernet Sauvignon is more common in Sunbury than Cabernet Franc, the performance of each suggests that in most vintages, it is too cold for Cabernet Sauvignon and that Cabernet Franc is much better suited here.

As with the rest of the Port Philip Zone, the cool climate lends itself to Chardonnay. The style is elegant with good natural acidity and not dissimilar to those of Geelong, a region with which Sunbury has a lot in common.

Shiraz also performs well here, showing black pepper and spice that you would normally see in warmer climates. You will see some good examples of Sauvignon Blanc in the region too, either on its own or with Semillion.

Source:  www.wineaustralia.com, Photo Credit