Heathcote Wine Region

Despite the Heathcote region being smaller than Bendigo in area, its wines are almost as diverse. The region stretches some 50kms in length from the cool hills around Tooberac, to the warm, fertile farming plains towards Rochester. For the majority of the region, prevailing winds from South to North keep average temperatures down during the ripening period, whilst the slopes of the Mount Camel range temper the potentially damaging spring frosts.

 

Although the most famous wines in the district centre around a famous cigar-shaped strip of red soil that is amongst the oldest in the world, producers across all parts of the region see their holy grail to produce some of the world's best shiraz. Despite this, Heathcote has shown itself capable of producing outstanding reds from a number of varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Nebbiolo.