Goulburn Valley is a historic wine-producing region in northern Victoria. Winegrowing here dates back to the 1860s, and the region boasts some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Goulburn Valley red wines made from Shiraz are powerful and intensely concentrated, laden with rich, ripe fruits and spice.
The region falls within the large Central Victoria wine zone and is located within the watershed of the Goulburn river, a part of the Murray-Darling basin. The state border with New South Wales marks the northernmost limit of Goulburn Valley, and the famous regions of Glenrowan and Heathcote lie to the east and west respectively. The Nagambie Lakes subregion, in the southern part of the valley, has its own GI.
Goulburn Valley's lengthy traditions began in the southern, or upstream, part of the valley, where the first vines were planted in the 1860s. This led to the establishment of one of the most recognizable names of the Australian wine industry, Tahbilk (formerly Chateau Tahbilk), which has played a vital role in promoting Goulburn Valley as a quality wine-producing area. As in much of Victoria, phylloxera arrived in the valley in the late 19th Century, but pockets of the region with sandy soils managed to avoid the scourge, and today there are still some productive vines that are 150 years old.
A plethora of water bodies, including the Goulburn river itself, lakes and small tributaries is the main feature of the region's grapegrowing landscape. As a result of the region's inland location and lack of any substantial altitude, the climate here is hot and dry during the latter part of the growing season. However, the local rivers and lakes play an important role in moderating temperatures and providing irrigation. There are parts of the valley where the vines also benefit from considerable diurnal temperature variation, balancing the rich flavor complexity with acidity in the wines.
The region is fairly varied geologically, and has been shaped over time by the rivers. On the flat valley floor, the alluvial soils, deposited by the Goulburn river, are sandy and gravelly and provide drainage in the vineyard. Higher on the hills, the soils are slightly richer with a higher proportion of clay, and tend to retain water better. Careful site selection based on the needs of the variety is vital.
As demonstrated by Tahbilk and other top producers in the region, Shiraz is the king of grape varieties in the Goulburn Valley. But it is not alone: other Rhone varieties like Grenache, Mourvedre (Mataro), Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne are planted throughout the region. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the other prominent reds, while Chardonnay, Riesling and Verdelho are the leading whites. (Copyright material, Wine-Searcher)
