Winemaker profile - Mornington pioneers
Louise Johnson
A view in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Only the greatest of explorers set out to discover new worlds, and some of the founding winemakers on the Mornington Peninsula were such great explorers.
Like many young Australians Nat and Rosalie White travelled overseas in the mid-60s, basing themselves in London while they discovered Europe. They spend eight months travelling through Europe with a tent and a car and during that trip they discovered Burgundy and pinot noir.
“We arrived in Burgundy and liked the look of it,” says Nat. “It was the middle of winter and there weren’t many people around.”
He recalls arriving at a vineyard with a nice building which they thought looked “flash”. There was a smart lady at a desk in the office and they asked for a tasting, not realising that access, especially during the off-season, was unheard of. Luckily one of the winemakers “liked the look of Rosalie” and took them down to the winery for some barrel tasting.
“It inspired us,” Nat says. “We thought it was terrific.”
The seed was sown and almost 10 years later Nat, a civil engineer, and Rosalie, a teacher, bought a cheap block on the Mornington Peninsula and started planting their vines. Nat says the local orchardists laughed at them when they started planting grapes on their three hectare block. The block had no road access at that time and they carried their young children, shovels and vines through the neighbouring orchards each weekend. “It was a huge amount of work and it was all hand planted,” he says.
One of the reasons they chose the Peninsula says Nat, was that they lived in Mt Eliza and it was easy to get to on the weekends. Their “cheap” block turned out to be ideal for growing pinot noir with its well sheltered north facing slopes.
“There’s a large element of luck in it, but when we came back from travelling Europe we could see the climate was similar,” he says.
Initially they planted pinot noir, chardonnay and cabernet on the property, but time and experience have proved their block is best suited to pinot and the cabernet vines have been grafted over. They produce a chardonnay and two pinot noirs - the half acre pinot noir and the acre pinot noir. Both are made identically but reflect the different terroir.
The Half Acre Pinot Noir is from the site in the vineyard with the shallower soil. The effect is to produce smaller bunches and berries. The greater skin to juice ratio results in a more intense and tannic wine.
Nat undertook formal training in viticulture and oenology by completing the Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science) at Charles Sturt University and they built a commercial winery on the property, the first established on the Mornington Peninsula. The first vintage from Main Ridge Estate was released in 1980.
He says the first wine was a cabernet which they took down to the Red Hill Supermarket. The locals were appalled, he says, to pay “$6.50 for backyard rubbish”.
Main Ridge celebrates its 33-and-a-third anniversary this month, with a banquet for 50 people that was booked out months in advance. For many years Rosalie has cooked a Sunday lunch focussing on local produce from neighbouring suppliers and their own organic vegetable garden and served on the veranda overlooking the vines.
Perhaps one of the most charming elements of Main Ridge is Nat and Rosalie’s enthusiasm and encouragement of young winemakers in the region. They have seen the surrounding apple orchards removed and a thriving industry of growers and winemakers develop around their small planting. They have been instrumental in nurturing newcomers to the region and developing the thriving winemaking community.
Main Ridge Estate hasn’t grown beyond its original boundaries despite acclaim for its wines, especially the Half Acre Pinot which continually receives acclaim from wine writers. Nat says the aim has always been to produce wine only from grapes grown on the site and to make the highest possible quality wine by encouraging low yields and using traditional winemaking techniques.
Access to the cellar door from a narrow gravel road has kept the larger organised tours away and only adds to the charm for those who seek out one of the best cellar door experiences on the Mornington Peninsula.
Nat and Rosalie White of Main Ridge Estate offer VisitVineyards.com Members an exclusive tasting experience - see details below.
Regions
- Melbourne Surrounds (VIC)
- Mornington Peninsula (VIC)
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