Yarra Valley Map

An hour by road from central Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is the site of a wonderful viticultural and winemaking renaissance. With vines first planted in 1840, between the 1860s and 1900 Yarra Valley wines gained fame and favour the world over. By the outbreak of World War I however, Australia's tastes had turned to fortified wines and with little or no market for fine table wines many Yarra Valley vineyards were turned to pasture for cattle. Vignerons rediscovered the wonders of the Yarra Valley in the 1960s and today the region produces some of the country's very best pinot noir, chardonnay and occasionally brilliant cabernet sauvignon. The Shelmerdine family purchased their first holdings in the region in 1989 with the outstanding Lusatia Park Vineyard regarded as the jewel in the family crown. Lusatia Park Vineyard was established in 1985 on the Lone Star Creek, at Woori Yallock, in the Upper Yarra Valley. Its elevated north facing aspect, deep free-draining red soils, and close-spaced vines ensure intense varietal flavours derived from long, consistent ripening. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc have proven to be particularly successful with pronounced varietal definition and distinctive cool-climate regional aromatics and flavours. Lusatia Park Vineyard's mature Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines have contributed great finesse, restraint and grace as both elegant, textured table wine, and sparking base material. Sauvignon Blanc at Lusatia Park is distinguished for its delicate, crisp gooseberry, citrus and passionfruit character. Since 2005, special parcels of fruit from the oldest and lowest yeilding blocks in the vineyard have gone to produce the single vineyard Phi partnership range, with good friends the De Bortoli Family of Dixon's Creek.