The Grampians is an

Australian wine The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry is a significant contributor ...

region located in the state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, west of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. It is located near the

Grampians National Park The Grampians National Park commonly referred to as The Grampians, is a national park located in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The Jardwadjali name for the mountain range itself is Gariwerd. The national park is situated betwee ...

and the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

hills. The area is dominated by red wine production, particularly

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

and

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 Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 734 Oxford University Press 2006

Geography and climate

Despite being located close to the Grampians National Park, the region itself sits between 240–440 metres above sea level. It is a cooler region by Australian standards, the average temperature during January being just . The harvest period is typically mid March to mid May.

Great Western

Great Western is the first subregion of the Grampians to achieve GI status, doing so in 2007. It is the historical heart of the Grampians and the location of most of its wineries. The topsoil is predominantly sandy loam with quartz and gravel pockets, the subsoil deep clay. Great Western is the wine and food village of the Grampians, with five cellar doors open to the public. Further information o
Great Western

History

The area was first vinified in 1862 with plantings of Concongella Creek and Great Western. French winemaker Charles Pierlot first introduced the

methode champenoise Sparkling wine production is the method of winemaking used to produce sparkling wine. The oldest known production of sparkling wine took place in 1531 with the ''ancestral method''. Pressure and terminology In popular parlance and also in the ...

at Great Western Estate (now owned by

Seppelt Seppelt is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benno Seppelt (1846–1931), South Australian winemaker, son of Joseph *Hajo Seppelt Hajo Seppelt (born 1963) is a German journalist and author. Personal life and educati ...

), and the region developed a reputation for its sparkling wine.

Food and Wine Festival

Grampians wineries feature at one of Australia's longest running food and wine festivals,

Grampians Grape Escape Grampians Grape Escape is one of the longest running food and wine festivals in Australia and a hallmark event for Victoria. It was launched in 1992. Held in the Grampians National Park at Halls Gap during the first weekend of May every year, the ...

, held in the

Halls Gap Halls Gap is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on Grampians Road, adjacent to the Grampians National Park, in the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area. The town is set in the Fyans Valley at the foot of the Wonderland an ...

over the first weekend of May every year. Launched in 1992,

is a hallmark event for Victoria and provides food and wine offerings by more than 100 local artisan producers, live music and family entertainment. Each year participating wineries select a parcel of wine from the year's vintage for inclusion in the special release Grampians Reserve Shiraz, which is auctioned exclusively at the Festival. Up to a tonne of grapes are donated to the Festival each year by local vineyards and picked by school students for a traditional grape stomping competition.

References

External links