Wine

Explore: Mount Avoca, Pyrenees Wine Region

A world away from the city and suburbs, and an easy two hours from Melbourne, the Pyrenees is one of Australia's finest cool-climate wine regions and arguably one of Victoria's best kept secrets. This often-underrated region produces wines that are intensely flavoured and carry the hallmarks of the individuality of the numerous small-makers, yet reflect the character and the natural beauty of the region. 

Celebrating 50 years of winemaking in 2020, Mount Avoca began with the dream of a Melbourne stockbroker, John Barry, son of renowned human rights and social justice advocate supreme court judge, Sir John (Jack) Barry, who wanted a tree change 30 years before the term had been coined. 

Led by second generation owner-winemaker, Matthew Barry, Mount Avoca continued the environmental ethos of his father and after much hard work achieved Australian Organic Classification in 2013. “After 50 years it feels like we have come full circle. My parents started with the "100% grown, made and bottled" ethos and now we are back with our Estate range being "100% Organic and 100% grown, made and bottled" on the Estate.” Matthew Barry 

Implementing this strategy included the long journey to full organic certification and has resulted in medals and reviews consistently at the highest possible levels and a red 5-star Halliday rating. “Winning so many trophies, some people assume we win in an "Organic" class. We actually are winning in the open classes against the best in Australia – it’s a nice little bonus to be organic as well.” Matthew Barry 

The wine-making team at Mount Avoca has continued to elevate the wine quality and recapture the magic that made Mount Avoca one of the best and certainly the most innovative winery in the region. The winery also specialises in producing a broad range of estate-grown varietals including Lagrein, Tempranillo and a multi-award winning Merlot. “We weren't chasing organic certification – we were chasing quality and growing the best possible fruit free of chemicals gave us the best possible wines. You could say we are ‘accidentally’ organic!” Matthew Barry 

Join us for a tasting of Mount Avoca wines in our sandstone cellar door, in the heart of the estate, adjacent to the barrel room. Overlooking the vines at the foot of Mt Avoca, our relaxed and friendly Cellar Door allows you to meet the winemakers and learn how the unique Pyrenees terroir translates into our award-winning wines. 

For those who want to stay onsite, nestled amongst the picturesque vineyard and olive grove at Mount Avoca, three Eco-Luxe lodges blend a balance of four-star luxury with an eco-sensibility. Guests can enjoy unlimited tranquillity in elegance and style with large picturesque, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the magnificent backdrop of Mount Avoca and the Pyrenees Range, all setting the tone to recharge and unwind. 

The world-famous Grampians National Park is just a short drive away and boasts lakes, rock-climbing and sensational walks, as well as its own famous wineries. The Pyrenees artistic scene has been developing for many years; antique shops and the restored Railway Station Gallery add to the attraction. The Pyrenees State Forest offers waterfalls, lookouts, native bushland with an abundance of wild flowers, wallabies, kangaroos and other fauna that can all be experienced in several different ways either walking, picnics, mountain bike riding or four-wheel driving. 

Explore our range of Mount Avoca wines here.