Earlier this week I was fortunate to attend the first-ever Canadian seminar and trade tasting of wines from Victoria, Australia. All of these wines were new to me and I was really looking forward to the experience.
Wine Victoria brought its leading wineries to Canada, offering an exclusive look at one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse fine wine regions. The landmark tasting marks the beginning of Victoria’s expanded presence in the Canadian market.
Mark Davidson, Head of Education for Wine Australia, and one of the industry’s most respected voices, presented an in-depth Wine Victoria Masterclass which was followed by a stand-up reception, featuring producers whose wines are rarely seen outside Victoria.
This was a unique opportunity to do exactly that, taste wines rarely seen outside of Victoria, Australia. The wines were distinctive and quite different compared to other wines I would normally drink, including my go-to BC wines. Keeping an open mind I dove into the wines from Victoria enjoying the learning curve as we went along.
The sit-down tasting/seminar included just a sampling of seven wines from the different wine areas along with an excellent presentation and overview by Mark Davidson. Davidson is wine knowledgeable, entertaining and has a grand sense of humour. The time went by so quickly the next thing you know we were cruising the 42 offerings of wines from Victoria, Australia.
Here are the seven wines we tasted during the seminar:
Jayden Ong One Block Chardonnay 2021
Yarrow Valley
OVERVIEW
Jayden Ong Wines is a small, family-owned winery producing wines under the One Block, La Maison de Ong, Moonlit Forest, and Jayden Ong labels.
The vineyard is organically farmed using a site-specific, holistic approach that considers soil, vines, and the surrounding environment together. The wines are detailed, pure, and expressive, with each vintage reflecting the conditions, challenges, and character of the site.
WINE MAKING
Hand-picked fruit, whole bunch press to tank overnight, then racked to French oak puncheons (20% new) for 10 months. A skin contact (5 days) component (14%) was fermented and aged separately in seasoned barrels.
The wine opened with scents of fresh fruit, rose dustiness, citrus, some stonefruit and a bit of brioche. It was clear and quite light in colour. I found the wine to be lean with good acidity. Although light it had intense flavour. It was tangy on the tongue and dry with a nice touch of salinity.
Tahbilk Museum Marsanne 2018
Nagambe Lakes
OVERVIEW
Established in 1860 Tahbilkis one of Australia’s most beautiful and historic family owned wineries. Located in the Nagambie Lakes region of central Victoria (120kms north of Melbourne), one of the nation’s premium viticultural areas.
The property comprises some 1,214 hectares of rich river flats with a frontage of 11 kms to the Goulburn River and 8 kms of permanent backwaters and creeks. Purchased by the Purbrickfamily in 1925, Tahbilkis home to 5 generations.
WINEMAKING
The 2018 growing season was dry and warm, with below-average winter and spring rainfall and an unseasonably warm November. These conditions supported healthy vine growth, good bunch numbers, and optimal yields, with vineyard management focused on canopy trimming and irrigation to maintain balance.
Harvest began in early February and progressed smoothly, with cooler nights moderating sugar accumulation and allowing steady ripening. The resulting wines show clear varietal definition, with whites displaying crisp fruit character and reds showing brightness, concentration, and depth.
I picked up distinct aromas of oak and cedar The wine was lightly coloured a pleasant golden colour. Scents included sawdust, toast, dust and pith. The wine was very pleasant and lighter than I expected with some notes of minerality, salinity and oak, along with white grapefruit. A nice lingering spicy finish. note: this wine never touched oak yet the aroma was there. A classic Chardonnay
Kooyong Massage Pinot Noir 2024
Mornington Peninsula
OVERVIEW
Kooyong is owned and operated by the Gjergjafamily, with all wines entirely estate-grown, vinified, and bottled under the direction of winemaker Tim Perrin.
The Kooyong vineyard is located at Tuerongon the Mornington Peninsula, planted on Miocene sedimentary soils. Kooyong’s focus is on expressing terroir through the integration of geology, soils, regional macroclimate, vineyard mesoclimates, and the seasonal conditions of each growing year.
WINEMAKING
Fruit for the 2024 Kooyong Massale was handpicked from the Tuerongand Balnarring vineyards. Fermentation occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts in open stainless steel and concrete vats, with 12 percent whole bunch inclusion, and lasted 16 to 18 days.
Indigenous malolactic fermentation followed, with maturation for ten months in French oak barriques and puncheons, including 10 percent new oak. The wine was bottled without fining and with minimal filtration.
The wine was a lovely ruby red colour with scents of wood, cranberry, black pepper, spice, and ripe plum with some oak The wine has good acidity, heavy salinity and distinct minerality. A touch of sour lemon and some herbaceous notes. Medium body with dark fruit flavours. Lean and quite nice with pepper and quite a bit of spice. Finishing with prominent but manageable tannins.
Castagna Un Segreto 2019
Beechworth
OVERVIEW
The CastagnaVineyard is situated at an altitude of 500 metres five-and-a-half kilometres outside the beautiful town of Beechworth in Northeast Victoria, high in the foothills of the Australian Alps.
vThe vineyard was planted in 1997 on what was previously grazing land. Five different clones of Syrah are grown, all of which are progeny of the original 1850s stock imported into Australia from the Rhone.
The land has been farmed biodynamic from the very beginning and it is this farming method that allows the minerality that is in this ancient granitic soil to show through in the wine. The vineyard is fully certified both organic and biodynamic and we are also proud to be one of only four Australian producers invited to be a member of La Renaissance des Appellations.
WINEMAKING
Fermentation is started with non-inoculated wild yeast, with a seven-day cold soak. Fermentation temperatures are capped at 30 degrees Celsius. The Sangiovese is made with the Brunello clone. Natural malolactic fermentation takes place after, with minimal SO₂. Élevageis twenty-two months in fine-grain French oak, about 35 percent new, with two rackings. Bottled without fining or filtration.
A ruby red with a slightly brown tinge. Light scents of blackberry and dark, ripe fruit, red apple peel. Very nice aromas. Although full bodied it seemed lighter than anticipated but very pleasant with medium tannins. The wine is both lean and dry with ripe fruit flavours of black cherry with pipe tobacco accents, slightly savoury. The body is light to medium as you sip and is a pleasant drink.
Mount Langi Chiran Cliff Edge Shiraz 2023
Grampians
OVERVIEW
Mount Langi Ghiran, located in Victoria’s Grampians region, is renowned for producing some of Australia’s most distinguished cool-climate wines. The estate’s viticultural history dates back to the late 1800s, but its modern legacy began in 1969 when the Fratinfamily replanted the vineyard, laying the foundation for the iconic “Langi” Old Block Shiraz. In 1980, esteemed winemaker Trevor Mast joined the venture, bringing a vision for cool-climate Shiraz that elevated Mount Langi Ghiranto international acclaim.
Today, under the guidance of Chief Winemaker Adam Louder, who began his journey at the estate in 1998, Mount Langi Ghiranremains committed to crafting elegant, site-expressive wines. The vineyard’s distinctive terroir—defined by granite soils and a cool climate—contributes to the unique quality of its wines, securing its reputation as a benchmark producer in the region.
WINEMAKING
100% whole berry ferments in both small open, and large, open-top concrete fermenters. A mixture of plunging and pump-overs during an average of two weeks on skins.
Natural yeasts were used and once ferment was complete, the wines were pressed to tank to settle overnight and then transferred to barrels to complete MLF. 14-month barrel maturation in French barriques, approx 30% new.
With scents of raspberries, rhubarb and just a bit of green apple underlined with chalk. Light tannins, crisp, lean and easy drinking. The body is light with good flavour. Smooth with a rather delicate finish. An interesting wine.
Blue Pyrenees Richardson Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Pyrenees
OVERVIEW
Blue Pyrenees Estatewas established in 1963 by French Cognac producer Rémy Martin, which at the time also owned Krug, Charles Heidsieck, Piper-Heidsieck, and several classified Bordeaux growths. The winery was founded with a focus on MéthodeChampenoise sparkling wines and full-bodied red wines, a stylistic direction that continues today.
VINEYARD & WINEMAKING
Sourced from the highest part of the Blue Pyrenees Estate vineyard, the 2022 Richardson Cabernet Sauvignon comes from 30-year-old vines planted on shallow, infertile sandy loam soils with a high quartz content and a northwest aspect, contributing to structural depth and concentration.
The mild 2022 season allowed a long, even ripening period, resulting in fragrant, fine-boned Cabernet fruit with elegance, grace, and intense varietal perfume.
The wine was sourced from Block 26 and matured for 14 months in tight-grain French oak barriques, including 30 percent new oak, prior to blending and bottling, offering both immediate drinking appeal and the capacity to age.
A very dark colour red in the glass. Some unlikely opening scents of sweet buns, dusty with undertones of rose. Showing very rich aromas of peach, melon and cantelope. The wine is a bit young and would do well when paired with the right dish. It is fruity and ripe with medium tannins, good acidity and some herbaceous notes. An ever so slight notes of citrus, oak and tobacco which seems briefly sharp but mellows into ripeness. I would drink this one with just a hint of chill.
Pfeiffer Classic Muscat, NV
Rutherglen
OVERVIEW
The winery was established in 1895, with vineyards located on the same site they occupy today. The estate later passed through several families, during which time a distillery was developed to produce fine spirits. In 1984, the property was purchased by Robyn and Chris Pfeiffer.
The estate comprises approximately 70 acres of vineyards, timber, and grazing land, with vines planted at around 125 metres above sea level. The property includes two vineyards, Carlyle and Sunday Creek, and is planted to a diverse range of varieties including Chardonnay, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Shiraz, Muscat, Tinta Cao, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Selected parcels are used to produce red, white, rosé, and fortified wines.
WINEMAKING
Brown Rutherglen Muscat grapes, with an average vine age of 5 to 6 years, are harvested at high sugar levels. Partial fermentation occurs on skins before pressing and fortification with a neutral grape spirit, resulting in a sweet fortified wine of around 17.5 percent alcohol by volume. After fortification, the wine is clarified and matured in barrels and casks of varying sizes for periods ranging from three to thirty years. Parcels of different ages are then blended prior to bottling to achieve balance and richness, producing a wine intended for drinking now.
Opening with just a hint of sour cherry juice followed by a very rich stewed plum and canned Bing cherries. The smell is nothing but delicious reminiscent of plum torte. This is a perfect stand alone dessert wine. So toasty and very inviting. Not as sweet to taste as to sniff. A medium body with plum flavours with a bit of burnt sugar or caramel. Very nice.
Wine Victoria Australia
What We Do
Wine Victoria was formed in late 2011 as the successor to the Victorian Wine Industry Association. As the peak body representing the Victorian wine industry our main aim is to advocate to the Victorian government, responding to the issues that impact our members. Where appropriate the association also supports Australian Grape and Wine at a national level.
What We Are Doing
Engaging Stakeholders
Our aim is to ensure that the industry can grow sustainably and that we have the right economic, community and policy frameworks in place to support that growth for our members. Each election cycle we develop a three-year strategic plan that is then updated annually and is informed by engagement with industry and government stakeholders at a state and federal level.
Robust Governance Structure
We operate under a constitution with a volunteer skills-based board elected by members at our Annual General Meeting and have robust governance structures in place for the design and delivery of all programs which include Project Control Boards; with Wine Victoria Board, Industry and specialist representation as required. Our staff includes a 4 day a week Chief Executive Officer; a Secretariat who is the primary point of contact for all industry enquiries; and a contracted Projects Manager.
With thanks to Town Hall Brands who hosted the event and invited me to attend. Seats were limited and you had to be quick to garner a seat at the table. With more requests than seats a wait list was formed. Post Masterclass there was a walk around tasting, featuring, by my count, 42 wines. The venue was ideal for this wine seminar/tasting event with massively high ceilings and racks on racks of wine barrels, it smells like heaven. This section of the restaurant is spacious and welcoming with a living room vibe. Thanks to the team from Town Hall who always put on the best, and best organized, events.
Town Hall Brands is a graphic design and marketing agency specializing in the areas of branding, strategy, and promotions, servicing a wide range of industries including beverage alcohol, food, sports, and professional services.
The Victoria, Australia seminar and wine tasting was held at the Belgard Kitchen, 55 Dunlevy Avenue, Vancouver. If you haven’t been you should go, it’s a great space.
Overview, Winemaking notes and images courtesy of Wine Victoria. My notes (in italics). The afternoon was complimentary and included a light lunch following the Masterclass.