Wine is again becoming an important influence in the day to day life of central Victoria. Hubert de Castella has recorded his impressions of a tour throughout the State last century, and then it was alive with vineyards and gold. The correlation continues today. Many of the vineyards that are part of the rebirth of central Victoria as an important wine producer are found in areas that have been sifted through, or tunneled through, for gold. There is clearly a reason in the mineral nature of gold-bearing soils, which makes them attractive to the vine and to the vigneron. The separate wine regions of the Pyrenees, Bendigo, Kyneton, Great Western/Ararat and the Goulburn Valley present a diverse range of styles, perhaps linked through a fullness of flavour, genuine structure and character. The reds frequently have the eucalypt-menthol-mint typical of the wines of this State, and many so-called traditional styles are persevered with, in an effort to preserve the heritage and tradition of wineries like Chateau Tahbilk and Bests. The tasting that follows brings together small wineries and large; modern approaches and techniques that however old, will never date completely. The regions produce nearly every style of wine, and in most cases are still to decide what they do best. This tasting will help you to form your opinions.
