Our Story

OUR STORY

Feathertop Winery History

Feathertop Winery is situated within the geographical indicator (GI) of the Alpine Valleys, part of the greater North East Valleys region an area renowned for its extraordinary diversity of food, wine and produce.

Extending from Victoria’s snowfields to the Murray River and encompassing the Alpine Valleys, Beechworth, Glenrowan, King Valley and Rutherglen wine regions, this landscape of mountains, valleys and rivers creates one of Australia’s most inspiring food and wine destinations.

Where else in the world can you experience five wine regions in a single day?

The extraordinary climate and natural landscape provide an exceptional canvas for producing distinctive cool-climate wines and some of Victoria’s finest produce. Chestnut and walnut groves, asparagus, olives, citrus, mustards, artisan breads and berries  grown just across the road from us are all part of the abundance of our region.

Here, we experience four truly distinct seasons. Hot summer days, snow-capped mountains in winter, the warmth and new growth of spring and the spectacular colour of autumn.

These seasonal changes, combined with significant variations between daytime and evening temperatures, create ideal growing conditions for grapes and contribute to the character and diversity for which the Alpine Valleys has become known.

Our vineyard was established in 1988 with a belief that the Alpine Valleys offered the ideal terroir and climate to experiment with and grow an exciting diversity of grape varieties.

The site was originally an old horse paddock, overgrown with blackberries, but its potential was immediately evident. Not only as a place to grow exceptional grapes, but as somewhere people could come to stay, slow down and experience the beauty of the region.

Overlooking the alpine peaks of Mount Buffalo, surrounded by native forests and rolling hills, and located alongside the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, Feathertop was always destined to be more than simply a winery.

With determination and an ambitious list of 30 varietals, Feathertop opened its cellar door in 1989 the very first winery in the Alpine Valleys.

Today, Feathertop remains synonymous with a passion for alternative varietals. Savagnin, Tempranillo and Vermentino, to name a few, have all found a natural home in the Alpine Valleys. Alongside them sit award-winning traditional varieties including Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Prosecco, as well as a selection of fortified wines.

But over the years, Feathertop has evolved into much more than a place to discover wine.

Today, our Private Estate is a place to retreat to.

Through Feathertop Retreats, we invite you to escape to the vineyard for a luxurious experience where, perhaps for the first time in a long time, you don’t need to make a single decision.

Come to reconnect with nature, with someone you love, with friends, or simply with yourself. Your retreat can include beautiful food, Feathertop wines, wellness and health practitioners, massage, movement and time spent immersed in the landscape. Or it can simply mean a good book, a long lunch, a glass of wine and absolutely nowhere you need to be.

There is no prescribed version of wellness here. You choose what retreating means to you, and we take care of the rest.

When you visit Feathertop by appointment, we offer so much more than wine tasting. Discover local produce, luxury accommodation, private retreats and escapes, cycle-friendly facilities and our Summit Cru Wine Club, giving members privileged access to the estate and our extensive collection of wines at member pricing.

This beautiful backdrop is also a place to celebrate. A place to say “I do”, gather your favourite people, mark a milestone or simply create memories together.

From the first vines planted more than three decades ago to the Private Estate you experience today, one thing has remained unchanged: Feathertop is a place designed to be experienced, not simply visited.

We invite you to explore, stay, retreat, celebrate and discover which #feathertopmoment awaits you.