Macedon Ranges is an Australian wine region in the heart of Victoria. One of the coolest viticultural regions in the state (and indeed Australia), Macedon Ranges is perhaps most notable for its sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as elegant, fresh varietal wines that are very far removed from the powerful styles of their northern neighbors.
The region spans a relatively small area around Mount Macedon itself, a part of the Great Dividing range. Victoria's state capital Melbourne lies a little way to the south, and the much warmer subregions of Bendigo and Goulburn Valley can be found to the north.
Elevation is probably Macedon Ranges' most important climatic consideration. Vineyards can be found on elevations that range from 1300-2300ft (400-700m) above sea level, where warm days are followed by much cooler evenings. This is cooled further by southerly winds from the ocean, and the region is often one of the last to be harvested in Australia. This makes it well suited to sparkling wine production, as high acidity is a necessary part of the process, and often the grapes are picked before they reach full ripeness. For still wines, growers must be more wary of cultivar selection and in some years full ripeness can be a challenge; a problem encountered in very few Australian regions.
The Macedon Ranges get considerably more rainfall than the hotter, drier areas to the north, and many growers are able to grow grapes without using irrigation, resulting in richer, more concentrated berries. This is largely down to the high quality of the clay-rich soils that allow for water retention, while still draining excess moisture away from the vines. The makeup of the soils varies across the Macedon Ranges area: sandstone and shale dominates, while there are some more yield-restricting granitic soils high on the hills in the south of the region.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are far and away the most important and widespread varieties in the Macedon Ranges, making both sparkling and still wines. However, plenty of high-quality table wines are also consistently produced in the area's wineries. Cedar-scented, highly perfumed examples of Cabernet Sauvignon lead the way, closely followed by spicy northern-Rhone-style Shiraz. Citrusy, crisp Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs are beginning to emerge, as is aromatic Pinot Gris. The fact that the climate here produces more elegant wine styles means that larger-scale businesses show little interest in the region, choosing instead to focus on the higher yields and more cost-effective vineyards at the northern end of the state.
