Henty Wine Region
“Henty Victoria – one of Australia’s most exciting cool-climate viticultural districts”. James Halliday
Henty has the coolest climate of any wine region on Australia’s mainland. It boasts about 180ha under vine and extends from prime rural merino and cattle country right down to the coast at Portland where the Henty brothers first arrived in 1834 with both sheep and vines in hand. It used to be known (unofficially) as the Far South West or Drumborg region, but when it gained its GI status in 2000, it was christened Henty, a name with character and promise, honouring Edward Henty, the first permanent European settler in Victoria.
The tale of its famed wine history begins in 1964, when Seppelt saw the light and planted varieties for sparkling wine production, making delicate, aromatic drops that continue to be made to this day. Seppelt’s Drumborg vineyard was a ground-breaking development in Australia’s winemaking evolution, spearheading cool-climate viticulture. The original Drumborg Riesling vineyard still stands today, providing fruit for one of Australia’s most celebrated long-lived wines.
This beautiful undulating terrain with challenging conditions has won the hearts of other wine producers – Crawford River, with its benchmark Riesling, is one of its true believers. Single-vineyard wines are the foundation of this region, with some of Australia’s finest aromatic cool-climate drops calling Henty its home.
Despite the small amount of cellar doors, Henty still receives a fair chunk of passing traffic, due to the spectacular limestone cliffs and eroded structures along the regions’ Great Ocean Road.