The township of Heathcote lies approximately 1½ hours North of Melbourne, on the Northern Highway. Originally a timber and sheep area, Its proximity to Lake Eppalock, with scenic drives and surrounding State Forests, and production of iconic red wines means that Heathcote is fast becoming a tourist destination in its own right.

The Heathcote Wine region starts near Tooborac in the south, following a seam of ancient red Cambrian soil that extends past the township of Heathcote, up the Mount Camel Range above Colbinabbin, where the red stone breaks the surface, to just past Corop in the North. Traditionally a wool, lamb and barley growing area, with its roots in the Gold Rush, it has recently seen unprecedented growth in vineyards and wineries.

Regarded at home and internationally as one of the finest Shiraz producing regions in Australia, Heathcote is producing outstanding, highly sought-after wine and fruit. Low yielding vines produce Shiraz that is distinctively purple/black, with inky dark berry fruits, complex and intense, with formidable depth and length, that has become the hallmark of this new region. Indeed, some Heathcote wines have already achieved icon status - Jasper Hill, and Wild Duck Creek in particular.

The secret appears to be the terroir of the area. The red Cambrian soils here are deep and ancient, 500 million years old, with seams of jasper running through, and bluestone at the northern end of the Mount Camel Range. It is this soil, with its ability to hold water, but drain well, coupled with a warm, dry climate, that consistently produces super premium wines.

The major grape variety planted in the region is Shiraz, but other varieties also produce fantastic wines here - Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Durif and Merlot, as well as some whites such as Viognier, Verdelho, Marsanne and some Chardonnay and Riesling, and even some plantings of Petit Verdot and Sangiovese to name a few.

There are over 30 wineries in the Heathcote region currently producing wine commercially, with the number of Cellar doors open to the public increasing each year. Many wineries outside Heathcote, including large companies such as Southcorp, Hardy's, Tyrrells and Brown Brothers, either source their fruit from some of the 70 odd vineyards in the region, or have bought and developed their own vineyards. Long time locals who for generations have been grain growers and sheep farmers, have also been bitten by the wine bug. The advent of new vineyards and wineries have brought diversity and new ideas to both their farms and local communities.

Wine writer Max Allen sums it up best:

"You see, the red wines (shiraz, mostly) made from grapes grown in this deep Cambrian soil have something that sets them apart. They are unusually deep in colour, and this depth of colour remains stable for an unusually long time. Flavour, too - inky dark, ripe and black - seems to be present in uncommon volume."