Port Phillip is a qualitatively significant wine-producing zone in the Australian state of Victoria. Named for the bay it surrounds, it benefits both from its location near the state capital Melbourne and the high quality of its Terroir, which produces some of Australia's most important wines, Particularly in the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula GIs (Geographical Indications).
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are among the most important grape varieties made here with Australia's favorite grape variety Shiraz also figuring in the inventory.
Like most large-scale wine zones, there is considerable variation in both topography and Climate throughout Port Phillip.
Overall, the zone can be classed as cool climate, mostly thanks to the close proximity to the Bass Strait that separates Tasmania from the mainland. Cool winds help to extend the growing season here, offering some respite from high sunshine hours and maintaining levels of Acidity in the grapes. Port Phillip Bay itself also provides this service.
Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula are Port Phillip's most significant regions, but the lesser-known Sunbury, Macedon Ranges and Geelong GIs also fall under the catchment of the zone.
There are more than 200 wineries within these five regions, most of which are small, boutique operations showcasing their produce through the Cellar doors which have become an intrinsic part of the Australian wine culture. Port Phillip's main legacy is one of quality, not quantity.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate the conversation in Port Phillip; these Burgundy classics are responsible for some of the zone's most sought-after wines. Shiraz is important as well and takes on a very different flavor profile in the cool climate, that being more inclined toward spice than rich fruit.
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
red wines from the region of Port Phillip go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of pasta bolognese, bites of cheese or duck breast in foil (barbecue).
On the nose in the region of Port Phillip often reveals types of flavors of cherry, cinnamon or pencil shavings and sometimes also flavors of sandalwood, orange or red currant. In the mouth in the region of Port Phillip is a powerful with a nice freshness.
The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...
Australia’s Giant Steps said that Melanie Chester joined the winery as head of winemaking and viticulture on 25 November. It marks a new chapter for one of the leading wineries in Yarra Valley, Victoria. Steve Flamsteed, who joined Giant Steps as chief winemaker in 2003, will step back from the cellar – although he is expected to continue working closely with the team. Working alongside winery founder Phil Sexton, Flamsteed has played a major role in developing Giant Steps’ reputation for excell ...
When I started my nomadic winemaking project, in 2018 at Niepoort Vinhos in Portugal’s Douro region, I had no idea how large a part Spain would go on to play – I certainly never intended to make it the locus of my project. So how did it happen? Yes, there was an element of chance and taking opportunities where they arose. But also, among the talented winemakers to whom I pitched collaborations, I sensed an openness and a readiness to collaborate which seemed particular to Spain. Held in June las ...
