Regional Info
The Rotherlea Valley
The Seven Sisters Vineyard is part of the valley Rotherlea Valley region.
The original family homestead is named 'Rotherlea' and is where Winsome was raised, and is now where Winsome's brother Angus Howell and his partner Diana Chomley reside. Rotherlea has been host to many family celebrations and is the central meeting place at which the extended family and friends regularly congregate.
The vineyard is situated at an elevation of 300m above sea level on slopes at the northern end of the beautiful Strathbogie Ranges in Victoria, Australia. This ancient massif emanates a sense of timeless mystery with dramatic rocky outcrops, steep gullies, high plateaus and ferny glades.
Our philosophy of land management within the valley is to strive to manage the natural resources with the least amount of interference and the greatest sustainability. The valley landscape has been gradually regenerated to save the land that was cleared for pasture in the last century.
Over 100,000 indigenous trees have been planted over the last two decades, either as part of farm forestry, shelter belts, or by family and friends to create biodiversity and wildlife corridors. Our aim is to develop a natural harmony between the vines and the countryside. We are well on the way to achieving this.
The Strathbogie ranges
Seven Sisters Vineyard is officially in the Strathbogies Ranges global 'GI' region.
The Strathbogie Ranges is an emerging wine region. A small number of vineyards started in the late 1880s, but could not withstand the combined forces of the temperance movement and fear of Phylloxera. The region's modern wine history dates from the 1960s when the Plunkett, Cameron and Tisdall families established vineyards. Today, seven wine producers and some 26 vineyards on 1500 hectares are creating exquisite, small estate wines in the Strathbogie Ranges.
The foundation for the wines of the Strathbogie Ranges is the combination of soils and climate. Vineyards range in altitude from 150m to 650m and produce a wonderful diversity of wine styles. Soils vary widely throughout the region but are predominately granitic and acidic (ph 4-5). It has moderately alluvial or colluvial sand and sandy loam, containing ironstone gravel and quartz over clay. The climate is classically continental - cold winters and warm summers. All parts of the region enjoy a long ripening season with vineyards in the higher south experience a long, cool growing season, while further north summer days are hot and nights are cool.
The Strathbogie Range's white wines are crisp, fresh and deliciously aromatic whilst the reds are full-bodied with hints of peppery spices. The region's benchmark red wine is Shiraz, followed by fine Cabernet Sauvignon and elegantly styled Merlot and Pinot Noir. Original white grape varieties were Riesling, Gewurtztraminer and Chardonnay, however more recent arrivals are Pinot Gris, crisp Verdelho and a wonderful herbaceous style of Sauvignon Blanc.
The Strathbogie Ranges Wine Region Association holds an annual Wine Show, with James Halliday a regular chair of the judging panel.
The Strathbogie Ranges is a beautiful ancient, granite massif less than two hours north of Melbourne
and easily accessible from the Hume and Maroondah Highways. The ranges are 400 million years old and emanate
a sense of timeless mystery with dramatic granite outcrops, steep gullies, high plateaus, hidden waterfalls,
majestic vistas, magical forests and ferny glades.
The Strathbogie Ranges was originally the land of the Taungurong people and last century to the Kelly gang. Ned spent his formative years in Avenel where and earned his famous green sash for extreme bravery. Many local families have Kelly stories to tell!
Our Land & Environment
At the Seven Sisters Vineyard we have learnt to respect the land.
Love of the Land
Winsome and Snow and the extended family share a deep love and interest in the long term sustainability of
the land and aim to manage our part of this valley as sensitively as possible.
The Vineyard is one element of a whole-valley-landscape whereby various extended family
members operate a range of enterprises combining environmental and economic projects. The entire family has
been involved in planting native farm-forestry shelter-belts on the land surrounding Seven
Sisters Vineyard. These green corridors provide shade and shelter to stock and also work to lower saline
water tables.
Environmental Research
We are keenly interested in applying the latest research knowledge to viticulture in the interests of
producing premium quality grapes and enhancing the environment. Seven Sisters Vineyard has been the site of
several national water management research projects, with our irrigation system and vines placement
specifically designed to produce premium grapes using minimal water.
Carbon Neutral
The prints on
our labels were designed by the distinguished Australian artist Tim Jones depicting indigenous trees in the
Rotherlea Valley. As well as the spectacular old indigenous trees, the commercial groves of blue gums help to
provide a natural habitat for native fauna and help enhance our carbon neutral status.
Conserving Flora & Fauna
The family
has recently zoned 100 acres of the Rocky Hill as a conservation area. Over the last 25 years and numerous
tree-planting weekends, family and friends have planted thousands of native trees along the roadsides and
creeks as well as on the hillside.
The indigenous plantings have attracted many of the extensive native wildlife that Winsome, Olive and Angus remember from their youth. We regularly get to see numerous birds, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and antechinus happily enjoying their restored natural habitat and spotting them has become a wonderful experience for the new generations.
The District
The Seven Sisters Vineyard is closest to the town of Baddaginnie which is between Violet Town to the South West and Benalla to the North East along the Hume highway. There is the township of Glenrowan to the North East 25 minutes away and the Goulburn Valley wine region near Nagambie (home of Mitchelton & Tahbilk) is 1 hour 15 minutes away to the South East. Refer to this Regional Map for further information.
Baddaginnie
Baddaginnie, a rural locality with a small village, is on the Melbourne-Albury railway line and the old Hume Highway. It is 12 km. south-west of Benalla, situated in mainly flat unforested country, one kilometre west of the Baddaginnie Creek. The site for Baddaginnie was surveyed in 1857. Its named is believed to be derived form an expression learned in Ceylon by the surveyor, meaning 'hungry', as the survey team was without food when it arrived at Baddaginnie. The village was a stopping place for changes of horses on the Sydney road and early industries included grazing, a quarry, vine growing and the cutting of timber for firewood and box wood. The timber cutting was itinerant, which delayed the formation of a sufficiently large settlement for a primary school until 1873.
Violet Town
Violet Town has a small community of just over 500 people near the Strathbogie Ranges. Violet Town was the first surveyed town in Victoria in 1838 on the recommendation of explorer Major Mitchell following his successful expedition in 1836. It was named after an English cottage garden and has streets such as honeysuckle, rose, crocus, and hyacinth.
Benalla
Benalla is an agricultural town of about 10,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about 40 kilometres south of Wangaratta.
The site was originally taken up by the Reverend Joseph Docker in 1838 and called Benalta Run, from the Aboriginal word for Musk Duck.
Prior to European settlement the area was occupied by the Yota-yota Aborigines. Hamilton Hume and William Hovell discovered good pasture land to the south-east of the present townsite in 1824. They named the river 'Swampy'.
A town was laid out on the site in 1846 and by 1849 lots of land were being sold in Melbourne.
In 1869, a 14-year-old Ned Kelly, Australia's most famous bushranger, was charged in the local courthouse for assaulting and robbing Ah Fook. The Commercial Hotel (an accommodation option) became the headquarters for the 'Kelly hunt' in 1878 and, in 1880, Ned was held at Benalla police station en route to his hearing at Beechworth after the siege at Glenrowan.
Soldier surgeon and war hero Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was also born at Benalla in 1907
and later attended Benalla High School.
Benalla is also known as the 'Rose City' and is noted for its public gardens.