Cellar door open 11am-5pm Friday-Monday. Working with winemakers Alex White and Carl Tiesdell-Smith, their aim is to make a range of wines that best express the distinctive nature of the grape varieties and of the region. Bittern Estate produces nine varietal wines: chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer, arneis, moscato, dolcetto, shiraz, and tempranillo. Chardonnay and pinot noi
r are now well established as premium varieties in the Mornington Peninsula, with its long ripening season. sauvignon blanc and shiraz are less often grown in the region. Arneis, dolcetto and moscato are three north-west Italian varieties, rarely grown in Australia. Tempranillo is a Spanish red variety that is gaining increasing attention from winemakers and consumers for its distinctive fruit characters. The vines are grown at Bittern, on a property that was an orchard from 1959 until 1995 and was known for its quality fruit production. The soil is largely ironstone buckshot with heavy orange clay at a depth of 1-1.5 metres.
“The site is in a unique microclimate. It’s very special in the Peninsula,” Garry Zerbe says. “It’s ideal for vines because it is maritime, which means virtually no frosts and mild temperatures; they are north-facing and well protected from the southerly winds that are the nightmare of the Peninsula; the soils are clay loam.”
For him, the proof of the excellence of the site is that it can always ripen shiraz. Great wine does not occur by accident. Everything is done to ensure the quality of the grapes: the trellising (mainly Scott-Henry) allows for optimum light exposure: vines are leaf-plucked by hand to ensure light and air during the growing season, and, where necessary, the crop is thinned ensuring the best quality fruit. Winemaker Alex White says that one of the attractions of Bittern Estate was the wide range of grape varieties on the vineyard site. “It’s an unusually wide range for a small company,” he observes. “It’s possible here because the ripening period is very long, enabling later ripening varieties, such as moscato and dolcetto, to develop good flavour. And it’s still cool enough to produce intense varietal flavours in the early ripening vines, such a tempranillo and arneis.” He says. He is the one who turns the grapes into wine. His 35 years’ experience in winemaking in southern Victoria have established him as a leader in the field His expertise is acknowledged in the wine industry, and his wines have won countless trophies and medals over the years. When he was approached by Garry , he was interested in making wines he had never made before. Arneis, dolcetto and moscato were new to him. But they were not unknown, because he had visited wineries in Piedmont, in the north-west of Italy, and had seen how they all grew, how they were made, and how they aged.
“The other thing I liked about Bittern Estate was the proposal to plant gewurztraminer, one of my favourites,” he says. Garry comes from generations of orchardists. “I wanted something to grow that wouldn’t walk around, moo, or jump fences.” Vines were the answer. They fascinate him – “so much more responsive than apples”. He is well aware of the virtues of the vineyard site, partly because he has owned the Bittern site since 1959. It was one of the family orchards, growing apples and pears. For Bittern Estate, as for others, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. There have been challenges with planning permits, neighbours, finances, and marketing. “It’s very hard work,” they admit. They are now enjoying the consolidation and growth. As they see it, they are bringing their professionalism and experience to bear on new opportunities, and a change of focus. “We’re old dogs learning new tricks,” Garry says, roaring with laughter. Garry is proud that Alexis and Matthew, his son, representing the sixth generation of the family to be involved in horticulture in Victoria. Matthew now handles the marketing and logistics for Bittern Estate as well as assisting in the vineyard when needed. They are all members of a strong and committed team.
