Midhill Macedon Ranges – Vintage in the vineyard

At Midhill Vineyard, an ideal vintage has late Winter rains that fill the soil before budburst, followed by a warm Spring to flowering. Spring growth is vigorous and has to be thinned. Foliage wires need to be lifted before flowering and berry set by Christmas is ideal.

Top-up rains through Summer, easing up as Autumn approaches, help the vines to grow and develop a canopy over two metres high. The vines are drip irrigated in dry seasons with bore water.

Vertical shoot positioning of the canopy in the trellis enables the fruit to be exposed to the sun under dappled light for the best ripening conditions. Side trimming helps ventilation through the canopy and reduces heavy shading of the fruit. Fruit quality develops with dry, cool autumn nights and slow ripening conditions.

Harvest is over March to early April. In cold years it can be as late as early May. Fruit is hand-harvested in the mornings while the grapes are still cool, and pressed the same day, immediately on delivery to the winery.

The soil is red volcanic clay loam and the ground slopes north-east towards the picturesque valley of Five Mile Creek, (in the early 1900s it was called Romsey Creek). Cold air drainage down the valley helps to reduce frost risk in Spring. The vineyard is open to the east, so from morning’s first light the sun warms and dries the vines and fruit to give our site a boost in growing degree days.

Midhill Vineyard is situated on the cusp of the Macedon Ranges in Romsey, Victoria, and is part of Australia’s premier cool climate wine region – and coldest on mainland Australia. The cool site allows balance and acid retention resulting in long lived wines with special varietal flavours and aromas. Our vineyard has been described as one of the most consistent vineyards in the Macedon Ranges.