Wine regions – Bendigo
Bendigo Victoria
The Bendigo region is a small but growing region with many fine boutique wineries. Perfumed Shiraz and well structured Cabernet Sauvignon are just two of the highlights of this region.
Bendigo in the Central Victorian Zone is a region synonymous with gold. Gold from the rushes of the 1850s and 60s lured thousands of men, generated great wealth for some and pump primed a regional economy supplying the miners and generally getting on with the business of agriculture. As with other regions touched by gold fever, vineyards were established to supply the diggers with much needed liquid sustenance. The wine industry in the region was short lived courtesy of phylloxera that hit hard in the 1890s.
The modern industry as we now know it, emerged in the late 1960s and grew rapidly over the next 25 years. There are three sub-regions within Bendigo region; Granite Slopes is to the south east and includes the towns of Mandurang, Harcourt and Castlemaine; Loddon Valley to the north west has a cluster of wineries around Kingower and Marong and Golden Waters sub-region to the south west with the towns of Bet Bet and Maryborough.
The region is dissected by a number of rivers and creeks the most significant being the Loddon, Avoca and Campaspe rivers. The region is gently undulating with brown loams deposited by the rivers and sandy granitic soils on higher ground.
The region is a significant producer of premium red wines, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. White varieties grown include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.
Bendigo Region is an old hand at welcoming travellers. There is an excellent range of accommodation, restaurants and cafes, and many a cellar door. The Bendigo Winemaker’s Festival at harvest end and Bendigo Heritage Uncorked in October middles the region’s wine, food and heritage.
Harvest time: early to late March
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