Victorian Alps Winery - Gapsted Wines

Rave Reviews at Cellar Door

The times are changing at our Gapsted Cellar Door, and with the new kitchen and inspired new chefs we are chasing the dream to create an enjoyable dining experience worthy of our multi award-winning wines.

A recent visit from The Age Good Food Guide caused a stir of excitement, cementing that we are on the right track. “We have been receiving a lot of positive feedback regarding the change in direction of our menu but we never expected to be judged and openly congratulated by top foodies from The Age Good Food Guide.” Ass’t Cellar Door Manager, Rachael Sandford. Chef Shane White adds, “It is just such an honour to be recognised for what we have achieved at such a high level”

From the ground up, our cellar door has been evolving to suit the ever-increasing food and wine lovers’ circle. It is amazing to see the many different types of visitors that make the trek out to the winery – from the carb-loading hard core cyclists to the most discerning food critics, we’ve got it covered! A high priority has been placed on staff training to ensure that each customer receives the ultimate Cellar Door experience of perfect service as well as fantastic wine and food. Not only do our staff provide a professional and relaxed atmosphere, they also have extensive wine knowledge to help guide our visitors through comprehensive tastings of our many top calibre wines.

Our menu has been developed around diverse range of premium wines showcasing the partnership of food and wine through components of each dish. Chefs Martin Kupferle and Shane White have created perfect harmony resulting in a relaxed yet decadent dining experience. “We are so lucky to be in a region abundant with fresh quality produce and the extraordinary wines give us inspiration to try new and exciting things.” says Chef Martin.

Seek out our review in the The Age Good Food Guide 2011 - available at all good book retailers from September 2010.

November 2009 - King of the Valley!

PROSECCO HAS ARRIVED …….

Crowned Best Sparkling of Show

Another exciting example of a traditional Italian style grown in high altitude vineyards of the King Valley, reflecting the regions history.
Selected as the Best Sparkling Wine of the Show at the King Valley Shed Show, our Prosecco is so so fresh, with citrus, pear and apple characters and great natural acidity. Made to drink young, light and fresh. Enjoy this festive season.

$23 per bottle
$138 per 6 pack
member discounts apply!!!

December 2008 - Celebrate Life with Zibibbo!

Summer is upon us, and with it comes a new and exciting release from Gapsted Wines- Zibibbo. Zibibbo is a light, fruity sparling wine that is available in three varieties- Zibibbo, Zibibbo Pink and Zibibbo Red. The winemakers have carefully selected fruit from premium vineyards to create this lively Sparkling. With its vibrant, colourful labelling Zibibbo is perfect for any celebration. As the branding states; Zibibbo- Celebrate Life! RRP $13

November 2008 - Gapsted Wines Acknowledged as 'the best' in Regional Victoria!

Gapsted Wines has come in a close second place as Best Cellar Door of all 687 Victorian Wineries. In this year’s Victorian Tourism Awards Category ‘Finalist’ defined a Silver Medal Performance – a commendable result for the company. Gapsted Wine’s Cellar Door has been judged to be of the highest standard in all of Regional Victoria with the Victorian Tourism Awards open to all Victorian Wineries and Tourism Operators.

More information and contact details for placegetters are available at www.victoriantourismawards.com.au

November 18 - Summer Events Calander of Events Launch Labelled a Success!

Gapsted Cellar Door launched its Local Tourism Operator Reward Program in style on Tuesday 18th November. The evening was to promote and launch the new rewards program Gapsted devised for local accommodation providers and to unveil the Summer Events Program for 2008 & 2009. Guests were treated to a welcome from Gapsted’s Winemaker Michael Cope-Williams, canapés from the new Functions Menu along with a taste of the Summer Menu. Recently released wines were served including the Ballerina Canopy 2008 Sauvignon Blanc- which having been bottled only a month ago, has already received recognition from Australian Wine Writers.

As part of the evening guests were invited to ‘design their own Wine Label’ with categories such as ‘Hoity-Toity Fancy Sparkling’ and ‘True Blue Aussie Red’ creating much fun and laughter, with many contestants putting a great deal of ‘creative’ effort into their entry. The labels were judged and awards were given to ‘Best in Category’ and an overall winner- with the honours going to Ross and Toots Anderson from Alpine Park Riverside Cottages in Porepunkah for their exceptional entry into the ‘Wine you would never give someone as a Wedding Gift’ category.

There has been fantastic feedback since the event;

"Congratulations on a great effort - well done - hope it brings you a lot of business as we have always found Gapsted Wines really good to deal with and good for tourism in this Alpine Area." Nola & John Williams - Chestnut Tree Holiday Units

"Thank you so much for a wonderful evening last night. Well done on your success. You deserve it.." Jenny Chalwell - Bright Visitors Centre

Novemeber 2008 - Wine of the Month: Tobacco Road 2008 Rosé

Cellar Door has welcomed an exciting new addition to the Tobacco Road family, the 2008 Rosé.

This wine was made from the ground up as a rosé. The fresh and fragrant spicy aromas and the balanced palate weight are a direct result of this style of winemaking.

A surprisingly savory rosè with the white chocolate and cherry and strawberry flavours following through from the nose to the palate. The spicy finish has balance and style.

Gapsted Wines Cellar Door has this fresh new release on tasting during the month of November. Come in and try it and ask our staff about the exclusive introductory price!

August 2008 - Limited Release Old Tawny

Here at Gapsted Wines, we are excited to announce the release of our fortified wine, the Limited Release Old Tawny!

Specially selected rows of Shiraz and Grenache were crafted into a classic young tawny , then carefully matured in our oak barrels for more than 10 years. The result is a rich full flavoured, and lusciously complex fortified wine.

Now on tasting at Cellar Door!

June 2008 - New label for Tobacco Road

Victorian Alps Winery welcomes a new label to refresh the existing brand Tobacco Road.

Tobacco Road is a depiction of rural life in the 50’s, the struggle of rural living, the incongruity of car and environment and the humour of a proud man sitting up front while the women and child push.

This quintessential Australian photo as gained wide acclaim and recognition. It was taken on the road adjacent to our winery’s current location and features a young John Cavedon, who is now an owner and driving force behind Victorian Alps Winery.

June 2008 - Wine Show Success in Queensland

The Victorian Alps Winery had fantastic wine show success at the RASQ (Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland) 2008 Wine Show. The Gapsted Limited Release 2006 Barbera was awarded a Trophy & Best in Class in the category “Best Mediterranean Red – Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto or blends”

The Gapsted Ballerina Canopy 2003 Durif was awarded Best in Class in the category “Best Mediterranean Red – Other Varieties”.

A Bronze Medal was also awarded to the Gapsted Ballerina Canopy 2005 Shiraz.

8 June 2008 - The BIG Shed Sale

Gapsted Wines is hosting our annual BIG Shed Sale on the Queens Birthday Weekend. For one day only there will be massive discounts on a variety of wines, including current release wines, bin ends, export wines, cleanskins, bulk wines and museum wines. Held in Gapsted Wines Big Shed, visitors will be able to taste over 40 wines. Wines will be discounted by up to 30% off. Come along for the only chance this year to collect quality cool climate King & Alpine Valleys wine at rock bottom prices.

Enjoy a day out at the Winery and pick up some fantastic bargains. Taste the sales wines before purchase, satisfy your hunger at the gourmet barbeque and refresh with a cup of espresso coffee. Return home feeling content and with a well stocked cellar!

April 2008 - A New Slant on Attaining Wine Knowledge...

During vintage, the marketing and cellar door staff spent a day in the cellar to experience the wine making process and enhance their wine knowledge.

With grubby knees, bruised arms, tired eyes and aching muscles, the marketing staff were more than happy to retreat back to their regular jobs (and the comfy chairs in the office) and leave the ‘heavy work’ to the experts!

Although the work was tough and some were much dirtier than others, the experience was well worth it. Thank you to the friendly cellar hands for their time and patience.

April 2008 - Vintage

Over the past few months, the winery has been operating around the clock to keep up with vintage 2008. As vintage comes to an end, we are reflecting on what has been one of the biggest and fastest vintages at Victorian Alps Winery.

Grape growing, like a good hairstyle, is highly dependent on the weather. A warmer than average winter in 2007 and late rain in spring provided strong growing conditions for crops. This lead to both red and white grapes being ready for harvest within a few days of each other. This meant a monumental effort on behalf of the cellar to find enough space for all the grapes in such a short time.

The 2008 vintage has winemakers very excited about the delicate whites and the good varietal flavour and excellent colour of the reds. Remember to watch out for the 2008 vintage in the coming years, it’s sure to please…

February 2008 - Renovations begin at Cellar Door

Like the winemakers and cellar hands in the winery who are excited about vintage, the team at Cellardoor are brimming with excitement as the cellar door renovations start to take place. The tradies are hard at work with diggers, spades, hammers and nails as they reshape and expand the cellar door to allow for a larger kitchen and a greater serving area. In the not too distant future we will be able to host functions on a grander scale, watch this space for more details..

February 2008 - Cellar Door Wins International Award

Victorian Alps Winery has been judged Victoria's international winner of the Great Wine Capitals global network Best Of Wine Tourism Awards in the category of Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences. The international jury made its decision at the recent (November 2007) Annual General Meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Network in Oporto, Portugal

January 2008 - Gold Medal at Hobart International Wine Show

The Black Range 2006 Chardonnay received the Top Gold in Class at the 2007 Royal Hobart International Wine Show . The judges comments were.. “A good class showing greater understanding of what the consumer wants than in previous years. Full, fresh finish and good balance marked the best wines.” This wine is an on-premise wine.
The Gapsted Ballerina Canopy 2007 Sauvignon Blanc was awarded a Silver Medal.

December 2007 - Blue Gold Awards for Gapsted Wines

The following wines were both awarded the prestigious BLUE-GOLD AWARD at the 2008 Sydney International Wine Competition “Top 100”.

Gapsted Ballerina Canopy 2005 Merlot
Gapsted Valley Selection 2005 Cabernet Merlot.

BLUE-GOLD AWARD indicates that the entry, when judged alongside appropriate food, was pointed into approximately the top 10% of the Total Entry and the wine is entitled to display the Competition’s trademark “Blue-Gold - Judged with Food” gold-foil bottle medallion.

November 2007 - Coldstone Sparkling wins Trophy & Gold at Le Concours Wine Show

The Coldstone NV Sparkling received a Gold Medal and Trophy for “Best Sparkling of Show” at the 2007 Le Concours Des Vins Du Victoria

October 2007 - Gapsted wins Trophy at King Valley Shed Show

The annual King Valley Shed Wine Show was held on Saturday October 6th, at Gracebrook Stables. This is a unique show in which the public is the judge. The Vintage Category was a new addition this year. This was of great interest to the public as tasting older wines is not usually available at cellar doors. The winner of the Best Vintage Category wine was the Gapsted Ballerina Canopy 2002 Shiraz.

August 2007 - James Halliday Awards Winery with a 5 Star Rating

The Best Selling and Definitive Guide to Australian Wines, the
“James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2008” has listed Gapsted Wines as the only winery in the King and Alpine Valleys with a 5 star rating. As described by James Halliday, “An Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity”.

In addition to the 5 star winery rating, two of the wines were listed in the “best of the best” categories –

Best Shiraz Viogniers - 2004 Gapsted Limited Release Shiraz Viognier

Best Sparklings - NV Gapsted Ballerina Canopy Chardonnay Pinot Noir

“The James Halliday wine companion is highly regarded and recognized not only in , but in overseas markets”, said Richard Howden Gapsted Wines Export & Marketing Manager, “Not only is this recognition a fantastic salute to our winemakers, but puts us in the forefront when entering new markets both here and overseas.”

July 2007 - Unique Variety Wins Top Award at Australian Boutique Wine Show

Gapsted Wines has taken the top of class for the 2006 Gapsted Limited Release Petit Manseng at the 2007 Australian Boutique Wine Show.

Petit Manseng is predominantly grown in the south of France in the Pyrennes district known as Jurançon. Gapsted Wines was the first company in Australia to successfully produce single varietal Petit Manseng. Since our first vintage in 2001, our national wine show success with Petit Manseng has been phenomenal, with two Trophy’s, two Gold Medals, four Silver Medals and ten Bronze medals.

Receiving the award at the presentation dinner held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney last night, winemaker Michael Cope-Williams is ecstatic with this variety’s continued success. “There are now several Petit Mansengs on the market in Australia, but as the original producers of this variety, we are constantly raising the bar in terms of quality and constancy, to ensure we continue to be the leaders. To have our new release 2006 vintage recognised by such an esteemed panel of judges is fantastic.”

This award also demonstrates Gapsted’s continued success at the Australian Boutique Wine Show, adding to the list of accolades from previous years including a trophy, two tops of class awards, one gold medal, five silver medals and twelve bronze medals.

Victorian Alps Winery - Gapsted Wines - News & Events

News & Events