Friday, February 15, 2013

About Wallington Wines


If you’re interested in going on a tour of Canowindra’s cellar doors, be sure to drop by Wallington Wines for a taste of their famous wines. Since 1992, Wallington Wines has been producing a wide variety of wines including fortified and bubblies from its farm in Canowindra. After moving from Sydney to New South Wales in 1990, Anthony and Margaret Wallington established their vineyard and started growing grapes and olives. They have expanded varieties grown, and produce French- and Spanish-style wines on their special patch of land in the central west of N.S.W., eastern Australia.

The Wallingtons have a ground breaking approach to growing their vines and running the vineyard. Margaret Wallington has been working hard to make the farm sustainable, converting their land to be a certified organic and biodynamic property. They also raise sheep and cattle, then use the animals to fertilize the land and for a little weed-eating. They now have biodynamic certification and have been growing organic beef and lamb. Eventually, the Wallingtons would like to expand their offerings to include home-grown vegetables.


The vines are grown in brown loam or red clay soils, where there is a low incidence of disease. The Wallingtons use minimal irrigation for small, but flavourful, berries. The grapes are handpicked and harvested during the dry autumn season. Crushing happens afterward. And if you’d really like to get involved, the Wallingtons open the vineyard for visitors interested in joining them in picking and harvesting In March and April.

Their winery is built from large Straw Bales almost a metre thick, this provides insulation to keep the Wallington wines at a constantly low temperature during fermentation. Functions including wine tasting are often held in the straw bale winery. The reds are then fermented in open vats, the whites in oak or stainless steel. Once completely fermented, they use a basket press and transfer the wines into varieties of French and American oak to mature. They use minimal chemical intervention in their winemaking process.

The Wallington’s cellar is open seven days a week for tastings, but make sure you book an appointment in advance. Get a taste of their product lines, which include fortified wines, whites, and reds. These include chardonnay, Semillon, pinot noir, Petit Verdot, Shiraz, Grenache and others. The winery is also open for private wine tasting and functions, which includes a tour of the vineyard.

Apart from wines Wallingtons, have expanded their product range to include olive oil, also harvested from their vineyard. Join them when they participate at Canowindra’s annual 100 Mile Dinner, where chefs and winemakers gather to showcase their products to patrons across 100 miles of Canowindra, including Orange, Bathurst, Mudgee, and Cowra.

Be sure to explore the various foods and drink offerings of Canowindra. To know more about home grown wines in New South Wales, visit the Wallingtons’ cellar and sample their wines and spirits. Wallington wines are a good start when looking to patronize locally produced wines. You will marvel at the high quality wines that can rival European quality, grown right here in Australia.