GourMay major sponsor The Canberra Wine House stocks a variety of the region’s finest wines, which are grown, developed and bottled with plenty of hard work, love and care from the Canberra region’s finest wineries.
The Canberra Wine House is passionate about supporting these local wineries and producers, and it’s core focus is to exclusively serve Canberra region cool-climate wines, acting as a connection between the vineyards off the beaten track to the city of Canberra.
Pankhurst Wines
The Pankhurst vineyard is situated near Hall, just to the north-west of Canberra. In the rolling granite hills just above the Murrumbidgee, Pankhurst has a beautiful micro-climate for fine wine-grape production.
The dry summers, a long ripening period and the vineyard’s modern horticultural techniques provide a recipe for excellent quality fruit. Pankhurst uses fruit from its own vineyard and produces a style of wine that can only be described as top-notch.
A feature of this vineyard is its modern trellising system, designed for quality grape production. Quality is emphasised with all Pankhurst wines having good cellaring capacity, while winning medals at an early age. Wines produced at the vineyard include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Merlot, Chardonnay and Semillon.
Barton Estate
Barton Estate is a family owned producer of premium cool-climate Canberra District wines from estate grown fruit. Its 20-acre vineyard, established in 1997 on the historic Jeir Woolshed block, is located approximately 25 kilometres from Canberra on the Barton Highway between Hall and Murrumbateman.
The vineyard site was carefully chosen and is widely regarded as some of the best viticultural land in the district; red soil with a north/north east aspect on sunny slopes means frost risk is minimal. In 1997 Barton Estate began transforming pasture into vines by establishing a nursery to produce its own rooted cuttings sourced from the region’s top producers.
Barton Estate’s super premium wines include Petit verdot, Shiraz, Sangiovese, a Cabernet blend comprising all five of the great grape varieties of Bordeaux, trophy-winning Riesling and Sauvignon blanc Semillon.
Wily Trout Vineyard
Located in the Canberra Wine Region, the Wily Trout Vineyard was planted in the late 90s on the hills surrounding the Poachers Pantry property.
The Wily Trout vineyard has the perfect aspect for growing premium fruit; in spring the frosty pre dawn air drains down the hills and along the floor of the Nanima Valley. On a summer’s evening, the cool easterly breeze comes over the mountains from the coast to drop the temperature rapidly, cooling the bunches and extending the ripening period. The cool nights create the delicate and complex flavours that are the signature of the Canberra Region.
The vineyard produces both red and white varietals including Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. A combination on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is produced by a traditional method of champenoisesparkling wine.
Gallagher Wines
Located just 16 kilometres from Canberra and overlooking the river valley with panoramic views along the Brindabella Ranges, Gallagher Wines has gained a reputation for producing some of the best wines in the Canberra District.
Planting the vineyard in 1995 was the first step in developing a quality-driven winery, where the creation of honest, sensual and ‘satisfying’ wine was the primary aim of Libby and Greg Gallagher. The family owned and operated winery focuses on premium handcrafted wines, highlighting the rich and vibrant flavours of the cool climate.
The Gallagher Riesling has won the ‘Top Gold’ at two of the last three Canberra District Wine Shows and was rated by Australia’s top wine critic, James Halliday, as among the best in Australia with a 96-spoint award for the 2011.
