Rutherglen is a wine-producing area around the town of
Rutherglen in
North East Victoria
North East Victoria is an Australian Geographical Indication for a wine zone in the Australian state of Victoria. It includes five named wine regions:
* Alpine Valleys
* Beechworth
* Glenrowan
* King Valley
* Rutherglen
Geography
The North Ea ...
zone of the state of
Victoria in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The area is particularly noted for its sweet
fortified wine
Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commanda ...
s.
Climate and geography
Rutherglen features a
Mediterranean climate (''Csa'') with hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters. Climate data is sourced from Rutherglen Research; established in 1912 and still operating today. It is at an elevation of .
The highest temperature recorded was on 14 January 1939, whereas the lowest was on 14 June 2006.
Grapes and wine
A wide variety of grapes flourish in Rutherglen thanks to its sunny and dry climate.
Grapes grown in this region include
Durif,
Muscat,
Tempranillo
Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino and Tinta del Pais in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its ...
,
Marsanne,
chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
,
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' ...
,
Shiraz,
Tokay (Muscadelle).
Wineries
Winemakers of Rutherglen
The Winemakers of Rutherglen formed into a membership based incorporated association in 1992. 18 wineries now make up the Winemakers of Rutherglen.
Member wineries are
All Saints Estate,
Anderson Winery,
Andrew Buller Wines,
Buller Wines,
Campbells Wines,
Chambers Rosewood,
Cofield Wines,
John Gehrig wines,
Jones winery,
Morris wines,
Mount Prior vineyard,
Pfeiffer wines,
Rutherglen estates,
Scion vineyard,
Stanton & Killeen,
St Leonards vineyard,
Valhalla wines,
Warrabilla wines,
Other Rutherglen wineries
In recent years, Rutherglen has seen a number of smaller new wineries emerge varying in size and production. Some have opted to open a cellar door.
* Calico Town Wines
* Lilliput Wines
References
Wine styles of Rutherglenby Australian wine critic,
James HallidayRutherglen Tokay and Muscatby U.S. wine critic
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert McDowell Parker Jr. (born July 23, 1947) is a retired U.S. wine critic. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter ''The Wine Advocate'' are influential in American wine buying and are therefore a major factor in setting th ...
{{Wine regions of Victoria
Wine regions of Victoria (Australia)