Mount Towrong Vineyard, Macedon Ranges
Mount Towrong’s estate vineyard, perched at 600 meters amongst the foothills of Mount Macedon, offers a rare sight in Australian viticulture – terraces cut into the side of the slope. Founded in 1996 by George and Deirdre Cremasco, those terraces were originally intended as a nod to George’s Venetian heritage – specifically the rolling hillside vineyards of Soave, Valpolicella, and Conegliano–Valdobbiadene. But as Mount Towrong’s current viticulturist Adam Paleg can attest, the benefits of this intervention into the landscape go far beyond its cultural resonances: the vineyard’s two and a half–hectare patchwork of chardonnay, pinot noir, prosecco, nebbiolo, and pinot bianco offers a model for sustainable water use in a warming and drying climate.