Pyrenees (Victoria)
Encyclopedia
The Pyrenees is a wine region centred on the Pyrenees ranges located in Victoria
, Australia
near the town of Avoca
.
The altitude of the ranges is 300 to over 750 m (approximately 980–2460 ft). Main peaks in the range include Mount Avoca (747 m) and Mount Warrenmang (537 m).
journey of exploration. The ranges reminded him of the Pyrenees
in Europe where he had served as an army officer, hence the name he gave them. He found the area more temperate in climate and better watered than inland New South Wales, and he encouraged settlers to take up land in the region he described as "Australia Felix
".
. Several wine growers produced and sold wine in the region in the late 1800s and early part of the twentieth century. The pioneer of the region Edwin Horatio Mackereth had his vineyard sold to a dairy farmer in 1929 by his descendants. Another early producer Kofoeds survived until 1947. The 1960s saw the re-establishment of vineyards in the area with the French Cognac producer Rémy Martin
planting grapes in the mid 1960s. Since the 1970s the region has been a significant producer of full-bodied red wines based on Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
grape varieties.
The main eight wineries of the region in the 1970s and 1980s included:
Chateau Rémy (since renamed Blue Pyrenees Estate), Dalwhinnie Vineyard, Mount Avoca Vineyard, Mountain Creek, Summerfield Vineyards, Redbank Winery, Taltarni Vineyards and Warrenmang Vineyard.
Wineries of the region now number almost twenty with a second wave of plantings and investment in the 1990s. The varieties planted now include many white varieties such as include Sauvignon Blanc
, Chardonnay
and Viognier
, while the main varieties of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
well supported by a range of other varieties from France such as Merlot
, Cabernet Franc
and Grenache
, Italy for Sangiovese
and Nebbiolo and Spain for Tempranillo
.
Tourism is a very significant part of the appeal of the region with many wineries including cellar-doors where wines can be tasted (usually free of charge) and several also including accommodation and restaurants as part of their business.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
near the town of Avoca
Avoca, Victoria
Avoca is a town in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia, north west of Ballarat. It is one of two main towns in the Pyrenees Shire, the other being Beaufort to the south. At the 2006 census, Avoca had a population of 951.-Geography:...
.
The altitude of the ranges is 300 to over 750 m (approximately 980–2460 ft). Main peaks in the range include Mount Avoca (747 m) and Mount Warrenmang (537 m).
Exploration
The explorer and surveyor Thomas Mitchell was the first European recorded to have traveled through the district on his 18361836 in Australia
See also:1835 in Australia,other events of 1836,1837 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales - Major-General Sir Richard Bourke...
journey of exploration. The ranges reminded him of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
in Europe where he had served as an army officer, hence the name he gave them. He found the area more temperate in climate and better watered than inland New South Wales, and he encouraged settlers to take up land in the region he described as "Australia Felix
Australia Felix
On this expedition Mitchell was instructed to travel to Menindee, then down the Darling River to the sea, if it flowed there; or, if it flowed into the Murray River to go up the Murray to the inhabited parts of the colony....
".
Wine
Vines were first planted in the region in 18481848 in Australia
See also:1847 in Australia,other events of 1848,1849 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales — Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy...
. Several wine growers produced and sold wine in the region in the late 1800s and early part of the twentieth century. The pioneer of the region Edwin Horatio Mackereth had his vineyard sold to a dairy farmer in 1929 by his descendants. Another early producer Kofoeds survived until 1947. The 1960s saw the re-establishment of vineyards in the area with the French Cognac producer Rémy Martin
Rémy Martin
Rémy Martin is a brand selling cognac , specialist of the Cognac Fine Champagne originally produced by Rémy Martin, a French winemaker, who founded the company in 1724...
planting grapes in the mid 1960s. Since the 1970s the region has been a significant producer of full-bodied red wines based on Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
grape varieties.
The main eight wineries of the region in the 1970s and 1980s included:
Chateau Rémy (since renamed Blue Pyrenees Estate), Dalwhinnie Vineyard, Mount Avoca Vineyard, Mountain Creek, Summerfield Vineyards, Redbank Winery, Taltarni Vineyards and Warrenmang Vineyard.
Wineries of the region now number almost twenty with a second wave of plantings and investment in the 1990s. The varieties planted now include many white varieties such as include Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
, while the main varieties of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
well supported by a range of other varieties from France such as Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
, Italy for Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
and Nebbiolo and Spain for Tempranillo
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...
.
Tourism is a very significant part of the appeal of the region with many wineries including cellar-doors where wines can be tasted (usually free of charge) and several also including accommodation and restaurants as part of their business.
External links
- Thomas Mitchell Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2
- Pyrenees Tourism website
- Wineries of the Pyrenees website
- Australian Wine Regions Map of the Pyrenees region
- Pyrenees Gold Field Victoria Geol. Survey, 1904, WM Bradford; discusses Geology of Pyrenees area and Gold Field.