Humble Beginnings
Tarzali is currently run and owned by the Ross Family. It was always an ambition of David and Pauline Ross to have their very own vineyard on their farm and it wasn’t until David ceased off-farm work in 2003 that the opportunity came about to grow wine grapes.
David’s cousin John Ellis from the Hanging Rock Winery in the Macedon Ranges, suggested that the farm would be very well suited to growing grapes and so it was that in that very same year, the first Riesling vines were planted and established the humble beginnings of the ‘Tarzali Vineyard’.
The cool climate conditions that prevail in this valley are perfect for producing quality fruit and wine true to their varietal characteristics. The decomposing granite based, duplex soils consist of a layer of deep fine sandy loam top soil, over a layer of yellow sandy clay. These two layers of soil sit on a layer of mud stone approximately 1.8m below the surface which in turn results in the excellent, water holding capacity for these fertile and complex soils.
The diurnal temperature variation that occurs here throughout the ripening season, together with our fertile soils allow for and contribute to our trademark crisp and fruity whites and rich reds.
Initially six and a half acres of Riesling vines were planted at the farm to establish the vineyard, and it was in 2005 that Hanging Rock winery produced our very first Riesling to be sold under the label ‘Hanging Rock Tarzali’ Riesling.
This label continues to be in production in the Hanging Rock brand to this day.
By 2009, David and Pauline’s eldest son Cameron and his wife Elisha joined the wine venture and planted additional varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo and Sangiovese. In 2010 we launched our very first label with our own ‘Tarzali Riesling’. This was a very exciting time at the farm as this wine won a Gold medal at The Rutherglen Wine show as well as a silver medal at the International Riesling Challenge in Canberra that same year.
More recently, Shiraz has been included to the vineyard by grafting over a small portion of the Riesling vines in 2014 and 2015.
Tarzali Vineyard is a small family business and we work very hard all year round to ensure that the highest quality grapes are grown to produce our award winning wine.
Our wine maker Rob Ellis of Hanging Rock Winery is testament to this and our relationship with the team there is paramount in continuing to bring all of our customers quality wine to be enjoyed all year round.
