Goulburn Valley RegionLocationZone - Central Victoria State - Victoria Map Reference Latitude 37 degrees and 25 minutes South Longitude 145 degrees and 20 minutes East Elevation 150 metres above sea level Subregions Nagambie Lake |
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Introduction The Goulburn River extends its way through Central Victorian regions and provides the connection between the regions. The story of the establishment of viticulture in the Goulburn Valley began with the formation of a syndicate headed by R H Horne and John Pinney Bear, which in 1860 raised 25,000 pounds sterling for them to form the company called Tahbilk Vineyard Proprietary. Within two years 80 hectares had been planted with 700,000 vines. By 1875 Tahbilk was producing the equivalent to 70,000 cases of wine a year, and prosperous trade with England was quickly established. Phylloxera spelt the end for the other smaller vineyards and wineries in the district, and when the Purbrick family purchased Chateau Tahbilk in 1925, it was the only operating winery. Indeed, to this day the only other significant winery (in commercial terms) to be established in the Upper Goulburn has been Mitchelton (in 1969), and even it had a prolonged struggle before becoming successful. Patches of sandy soil have held phylloxera away notably from the vineyard at Tahbilk on which the knobby old vines planted in 1860 continue to provide quality grapes which are made into a distinctive wine by Tahbilk. The National Trust noted that Tahbilk retained more of its nineteenth-century atmosphere than any other winery in Australia.Primary Grape Varieties White Chardonnay 105 ha Marsanne 80 ha Riesling 45 ha Sauvignon Blanc 40 ha Semillon 20 ha Other 10 ha Total White 300 ha Red Shiraz 305 ha Cabernet Sauvignon 180 ha Merlot 85 ha Other 40 ha Total Red 610 ha Primary Wine Styles Chardonnay Marsanne Riesling Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon
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