Bendigo Wine Region News

Celebrate 20 years at Harcourt Valley Vineyard

16 January 2009

Harcourt Valley Vineyard was founded in 1976, with the first vintage produced in 1980.  The Livingstone family have been at the helm since 1989 and to mark their 20 year anniversary they are having a day of music, wine, food and friends.  The free event will be held on Sunday 25 January 2009 on the Australia Day weekend and all are welcome.

Live jazz and blues will be provided by five piece band, Mood Swings.  Vertical tastings of nearly every vintage from the inaugural in 1980 to the present will be on show, with only one or two bottles remaining of the early vintages.  This will be the last chance to try these forever!  For the kids there will be free face painting and other activities including cricket and bocce.

The vineyard boasts a beautiful setting of old red river gums and an amphitheatre which captures and naturally amplifies music.  You are invited to bring a picnic and a rug to sit and breathe in the ambience of the surrounds.

Award-winning wines will be on offer to complement a selection of excellent food to be served on the day.

All the wine is made from estate-grown fruit and recent vintages have won many awards at wine shows from Melbourne to Cairns, including trophies for best wine in show and top gold medals.

This vineyard is the oldest commercial vineyard in the Mount Alexander Shire.  Varieties include Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Chardonnay and Riesling. The granitic soils of the Harcourt Valley have proved to be an ideal environment for grape vine production, the soils are free draining and the vineyard’s higher elevation gives cooler nights which slow down the ripening of the fruit.

There is such a diversity of style and flavour within the Bendigo Wine region and Harcourt Valley is an ideal place to begin finding out just that!

If you can’t make it on the long weekend, then the Livingstones welcome you to call in and taste wines in their old granite winery another time.  The cellar door is at Harcourt Valley Vineyard, 3339 Calder Highway in Harcourt.

ENDS………..

For media requests please contact Aileen Walsh on 0407 706769 or visit www.bendigowine.org.au