Yarra Yering is one of the oldest and most beautiful vineyards in Victoria’s Yarra Valley with 28 hectares of vines located at the foot of the Warramate Hills. Established in 1969 by Dr Bailey Carrodus, the 1973 vintage saw production of the first vintage of Dry Red Wine No. 1 and Dry Red Wine No. 2. Yarra Yering quickly gained an international reputation for quality and individuality and paved the way for other Yarra Valley wineries.
All fruit at Yarra Yering is hand-picked into 10kg picking buckets in the cool of the morning, and delivered direct to the winery. The fruit is sorted, then either destemmed or crushed into the traditional Yarra Yering “tea chest” 0.5-tonne open-fermenters. Depending on the variety, stalks may be added back during the fermentation stage in baskets for easy removal when there is just enough stalk tannin present.
Occasionally there will be some 100% whole bunch fermenters for use as a blending component. The stainless steel lined wooden tea chest fermenters were designed by Dr Carrodus to hold just the right amount of fruit to fit into the basket press. During fermentation they are hand plunged for gentle tannin extraction, initiated naturally or sometimes with a specific cultured yeast strain.
Once fermentation is complete they will be basket pressed, preferred for its gentle separation of wine from the grape skins and seeds before being transferred via gravity to barrel.
Here in our underground barrel cellar the wine will complete malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels. The barrel age, size, shape and maturation time will be dependent on the variety and wine style before blending and bottling.
The 70 acres of vines at Yarra Yering are grown without irrigation on a northerly slope at the foot of the Warramate hills. Good drainage, all day exposure to the sun, and enough elevation from the valley floor to avoid the spring frosts produces wines that are inherently balanced, precise and elegant.
The yield is low, 1-2 tons per acre, resulting in fruit with great intensity and concentration of flavour and with an abundance of natural acidity.
The rows of vines are planted three metres apart, but in-row vine spacings vary across the vineyard, depending on grape variety and suitability to soil type.
Hand-pruning is undertaken over winter by the vineyard staff, regardless of the weather in the Yarra Valley. As the vineyard has grown in size from the original 30 acre block to the current 70 acres, new varieties have been planted to supplement the traditional cabernet, pinot, shiraz, and chardonnay.
A steep west facing hillside purchased in the 90s was terraced and planted with Portuguese varieties to take advantage of the hot afternoon sun. An East facing slope below these varieties is planted to merlot, mouvedre and petit verdot.
Yarra Yering has not stood still, the endeavor to produce better wines is pursued constantly in the winery and vineyard, maintaining its status as one of the best in the Yarra Valley
All fruit at Yarra Yering is hand-picked into 10kg picking buckets in the cool of the morning, and delivered direct to the winery. The fruit is sorted, then either destemmed or crushed into the traditional Yarra Yering “tea chest” 0.5-tonne open-fermenters. Depending on the variety, stalks may be added back during the fermentation stage in baskets for easy removal when there is just enough stalk tannin present.
Occasionally there will be some 100% whole bunch fermenters for use as a blending component. The stainless steel lined wooden tea chest fermenters were designed by Dr Carrodus to hold just the right amount of fruit to fit into the basket press. During fermentation they are hand plunged for gentle tannin extraction, initiated naturally or sometimes with a specific cultured yeast strain.
Once fermentation is complete they will be basket pressed, preferred for its gentle separation of wine from the grape skins and seeds before being transferred via gravity to barrel.
Here in our underground barrel cellar the wine will complete malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels. The barrel age, size, shape and maturation time will be dependent on the variety and wine style before blending and bottling.
The 70 acres of vines at Yarra Yering are grown without irrigation on a northerly slope at the foot of the Warramate hills. Good drainage, all day exposure to the sun, and enough elevation from the valley floor to avoid the spring frosts produces wines that are inherently balanced, precise and elegant.
The yield is low, 1-2 tons per acre, resulting in fruit with great intensity and concentration of flavour and with an abundance of natural acidity.
The rows of vines are planted three metres apart, but in-row vine spacings vary across the vineyard, depending on grape variety and suitability to soil type.
Hand-pruning is undertaken over winter by the vineyard staff, regardless of the weather in the Yarra Valley. As the vineyard has grown in size from the original 30 acre block to the current 70 acres, new varieties have been planted to supplement the traditional cabernet, pinot, shiraz, and chardonnay.
A steep west facing hillside purchased in the 90s was terraced and planted with Portuguese varieties to take advantage of the hot afternoon sun. An East facing slope below these varieties is planted to merlot, mouvedre and petit verdot.
Yarra Yering has not stood still, the endeavor to produce better wines is pursued constantly in the winery and vineyard, maintaining its status as one of the best in the Yarra Valley