Welcome to Eminence Wines. We’re a small, family-owned vineyard and winery located in the high altitude region of Whitlands, north-east Victoria.
HELLO. CLARE HERE…
In 1998 my parents planted a vineyard on their property in Whitlands, north-east Victoria. At 841 metres above sea level, this is the highest altitude vineyard in Victoria, and one of the coldest sites in Australia. My partner Pete manages our vineyard, and from it we make cold climate wines of character and provenance. We don’t have a cellar door just yet but we’re delighted you’ve stopped by our website…
Header image by Georgie James @bygeorge_photo, vineyard image by Shaye Hughes @neleheyahs
OUR WINES
We make a small range of wines including traditional method (bottle fermented) sparkling wine, pinot gris, pinot noir, pinot meunier, chardonnay & a few other bits and pieces. We strive to be totally transparent about our vineyard and winemaking practices so you’ll find every little detail published alongside our tasting notes and food match recommendations.
THE REGION AND VINEYARD
Whitlands High Plateau isn’t an official wine region, but it probably should be. Forming the western ridge of the King Valley, it is a 12 km long, high altitude plateau that runs between Mansfield & Whitfield. With a truly cold climate, it’s perfect for grapes destined for sparkling base & aromatic table wines. Our vineyard is about 23 acres, a small portion of the total vineyard area along the plateau.
THE GOOD DRINKS COLLECTIVE
The Good Drinks Collective is our version of a wine club. Most wine clubs offer a red, white or sparkling pack, but we know that more choice = more happiness, so you can customise each pack to suit your taste. Alongside our own wines we also feature wines from other winemakers who we know and admire. The Good Drinks Collective is the only way to access free delivery, discounts, special releases and our super useful wine concierge. We think it’s a pretty good deal!
Latest Posts
Events and free tasting stock: a discussion
A chat with a fellow producer recently veered into total taboo territory: should wine producers provide free wine at tastings at events, in exchange for the value offered by the event organisers?
Why we’re publishing our winemaking specs
Winemaking, compared to other food processing enjoys almost no labelling regulation. Maybe it’s lobbying. Maybe it’s the established practice not being questioned. Whatever it is, we’re setting an example by publishing details on every wine we make.
Winesplainer: Dessert & Fortified Wine 101
There’s an unfair prejudice against sweet & fortified wine — it deserves better! Here’s a short guide to remind you how great these wines are
Winesplainer: Where does wine flavour come from? Notes on grapes, place and time.
So when it’s time to learn about wine, where the hell do you start? Well, you start with what’s in your glass. Every single wine’s identity and character can be traced back to only three origins:
Winesplainer: Wine glasses, temperature and what to do with open wine
Our recommendations on glassware, serving temperature and what to do with that open bottle that you just can’t finish (it’s ok! it happens to us too!)
Winesplainer: Gris & Grigio – colour, style & sweetness
Easy to understand info on pinot gris and pinot grigio focusing on colour, style and sweetness. Written by a real winemaker not an AI bot.
Winesplainer: White wine basics – written by a winemaker
Easy to understand info on the basics of white wine making in Australia including decisions like yeast, vessels, picking and oak. Written by a real winemaker not an AI bot.
Winesplainer: Prosecco V méthode champenoise
Given we’re located in the King Valley, but we don’t make Prosecco, this little explainer might help clarify a few points about how these wines are different.
Eat This: Potato and Scallop Pancakes for Breakfast
This is our tradition for Christmas breakfast…a recipe by Darren Simpson. It’s a ridiculous combination of mashed potato mixed into a batter with finely chopped fresh scallops, which is then fried into submission.
Winesplainer: Pet Nat Sparkling Wines
I’ve prepared this handy guide so that you can quickly get acquainted with the wonderful world of pet-nat sparkling wines.