Australian Gourmet Traveller - (02)February 2021 (1)

SAMANTHAPAYNEexploresa coolclimatewine

region producing some of Australia’s hottest wines.

Macedon Ranges

VICTORIA

I

t mayboastofbeingoneofAustralia’s

coldestmainlandwineregions,butthings

areheatingupintheMacedonRanges.

Establishedwinemakers,sommeliersand

othersinthewinetradeareflockingtothearea

totryandtapintothemagicoftheMacedon.

MattHarrophasworkedinsomeofthe

best-knownvineyardsinAustraliaandNewZealand.

Still,it’shisnewlyappointedpositionaschief

winemakerat CurlyFlatinthenorth-easternarea

ofMacedonthatheis mostexcitedabout.“I feel

like everything I have learnt as a winemaker over

thepast 20 yearshasledmetothisplace,thatthis

is whereI’msupposedtobe.”Whileneighbouring

YarraValleyandMorningtonregionsalsospecialise

inpinotnoirandchardonnay,hesaysthere’san

“underlyingenergythatreverberatesthroughthe

winescomingoutofthisregion”.

Anothernewcomertothearea,RobWalters,

plantedhiscertifiedorganic,high-densityvineyards

in 2012 andhis 2019 vintagesoldoutwithin

a week.HiswinelabelPlaceofChangingWinds

is anEnglishtranslationofthetraditional

Wurundjeri name for the place where his vines

Samanthais
a sommelier,
writerandwine
consultant.
@sl_payne PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER. STYLING HANNAH BLACKMORE.