Baileys Wines, Glenrowan
The Baileys vineyard is outside of the tiny township of Glenrowan in Victoria. We went there looking for the Muscats and Topaques the region is famous for, and found one of the quietest most beautiful vineyards I've ever been to. If there is an apocalypse, I am heading for Baileys in Glenrowan and I will happily die there amongst the vines.
The 1904 vines, Baileys Vineyard, Glenrowan
You can feel the history as you drive up the long winding dirt road. You pass the buildings that were raised by the original family at the turn of the century, past the ancient gums and roll up to a the "new" warehouse wall which is ‘only’ 100 years old. The modern has no place here and the evolution of the site over 200 years is immediately identifiable.
Baileys, original winery buildings
We went into the lonely feeling cellar door and started to chat with the only person we had seen in about 50 kilometers. We tried the various muscats (and bought some) and then were challenged to test the shiraz's. To be honest I wasn't that fussed with the rest of the product, but the 1904 block shiraz captured my attention with the first sip.
The 1904 block of grapes is on the left as you drive up the driveway and (per the name) was planted in 1904 after Phyloxera wiped out the vines at the turn of the 19th century. That would make the 1904 block one of the oldest shiraz blocks in Australia.
The Glenrowan region, along with Rutherglen 60 kilometres’ to the north is world famous for its Muscats and Topaques (Tokay before the Europeans locked down the rights) Baileys is the oldest vineyard and one of the most well known Muscat producers in the region.
There is a museum in the cellar door that is well worth a visit as its a fairly complete history of the vineyard.
The family have kept hold of many of the tools they have used to make the wine over the last 150 years and its well worth the time to wander through it after you have hoisted a glass or two.
Baileys Vineyard, Wine making Museum
What amazed me was how the Bailey’s vigneron spent half a decade watching his families vines die from 1895 -1900, and somehow decided he wasn't going to let his family business be wiped out, he got himself some phyloxera resistant rootstock and replanted his entire vineyard by hand, knowing he would not produce another crop for half a decade more.
Madness? Dedication?, Love?
I don't know, but people and stories like that are what fascinate me about wine.
