Alpine versus the King Valleys

Some 3-3.5 hours north-east of Melbourne’s hustle and bustle, you’ll find the Alpine and King Valleys just east, off the Hume Highway, almost hallway between Melbourne and Canberra.

Northeast Victorian wine region has five sub-regions, including the Alpine Valleys, Beechworth, Glenrowan, King Valley, and Rutherglen. Very well known among historians with regards to the gold-rush days, but this wine growing region has a huge amount of history itself – with some of the oldest vines in Australia’s grape-growing history. Check out the Old Vine Registry, where a Rutherglen winery lists their oldest vines at over 103 years old.

We love this wine growing region, as all (almost all) of our Twin Valley Wines fruit comes from these special soils. In the King Valley, vineyards are situated at various altitudes ranging from around 200 meters (656 feet) to over 800 meters (2625 feet) above sea level. The altitude variation allows for a greater diversity in grape varieties grown there, and the flexibility for us to grow our grapes in the areas (and altitude) where they thrive.

The King Valley is particularly known for its cool climate, which is suitable for producing aromatic white wines, cool-climate reds, and sparkling wines. Some of the prominent grape varieties grown in the King Valey include riesling, pinot grigio/gris, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, sangiovese, and cabernet sauvignon.

Moving on to the Alpine Valley region, its vineyards are situated at a greater altitude, comparatively to the King. Typically, vineyards are sitting from around 400 meters (1312 feet) to over 1000 meters (3281+ feet) above sea level. The higher the altitude, combined with the even cooler climate, significantly influences grape variety selection. In the Alpine Valley, grape varieties that are better suited to these conditions, and in particular the cool-climate and mountain conditions prosper.

Those notable, include Shiraz (often referred to as Syrah from a cooler region), cabernet franc, merlot, nebbiolo, tempranillo, gewürztraminer, and chardonnay.

Our wines grown from just the King Valley region include our pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, rosé, and our premium chardonnay (including our sparkling: Blanc de Blanc). Across to the higher, Alpine Valleys, we source our fruit for our premium pinot gris. Looking to select exceptional parcels from both regions, we use select parcels from both the King and Alpine Valley vineyards in our premium pinot/chardonnay sparkling, and our prosecco.