A whirlwind tour of Orange

There’s something going on in this otherwise sleepy little town in Central Western NSW. Something very cool indeed.

I love Orange. I first visited the region way back in 2010, and indeed one of my first potential jobs in the wine industry was in Orange in 2009 (wife was pregnant with our first at the time, so moving was not exactly top of the pops), and I’ve always maintained a soft spot for the place.

Back in 2010, the wine industry in Orange was really only just finding its’ feet. Some great wines were being made in the region, and they were no doubt drunk up by enthusiasts, but I got the distinct impression back then that the Orange story was still to be written.

Almost a decade later and its transformation is almost complete. From a barely mentioned wine region in NSW to a tourist hotspot with wines to match.

First the facts: the Orange Wine Region is home to some 60 vineyards and 40 cellar doors. The region has several components to it, and as such terroir plays an important role – the elevation goes from 600m to 1100m above sea level with soils equally diverse. This means that Orange can produce an extraordinary array of high quality wines. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the regional heros, but expect to see everything from Syrah/Shiraz to Cabernet Franc to Merlot to Riesling and everything in between.

My trip there this week was specifically to attend the Wine Industry Impact Conference, but whilst I was there I took the time to visit a few places to really explore the region a little more, away from the stage-managed auspices of the conference.

Ferment, located in the CBD of Orange, is the cellar door for a number of local wineries. Tastings will cost you $20 for 10 wines (fully refundable on purchase of 6 wines), but this is a great place to get a feel for what the region is capable of in a one-stop-shop kinda way. I visited Ferment straight after the end of the conference, basically to grab a few bottles to take with me and I’m glad I did. After being led through a handful of local wines, winemaker Matt Atallah walked in the door (Matt was also at the conference as an attendee, so I  had ‘met’ him in a roundabout way earlier) and we chatted for what must have been a good three-quarters of an hour.

The next day, I met up with Matt in his cold room he leases and we chatted for a good while. Matt runs Matthew Atallah Wines, making Syrah, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. Whilst Matthew Atallah Wines may be relatively young, Matt’s been a winemaker for years and his breadth of knowledge and experience shines through in his wines. Single varietal Cabernet Franc is an interesting wine (in a good way), but the Chardonnay is just beautiful. Exemplary cool climate wines, really.

Heifer Station was purchased by the current owners in 2009 and the cellar door opened in 2016. The owners originally had zero interest in starting a wine business, but were persuaded by locals to keep the vineyard and see what it was capable of. The end result, a decade on, is stunning. Cellar Door Manager Nick Garton and I have known each other for a little while, so it was good to have a guide to take me through the place. The cellar door is set in an old woolshed and is, quite simply, a stunning place to taste wines. Some new technology additions on the way will make this cellar door experience one of the most ‘user-friendly’ in the region, putting the guest in control of their destiny, so to speak.

The wines are fantastic. Again, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars, but I was equally impressed with the Merlot – another winemaker friend of mine commented to me recently how good Merlot could work in Orange’s climate and this was certainly mirrored here. A new Riesling and a Syrah were also pretty darn good, but I was impressed with the entire setup.

The problem with trips like this is is everything tends to get truncated so you don’t get to explore anywhere near as much as you might want. It was really good to be back in Orange – it’s star is most definitely on the rise and it keeps going from strength to strength. What really struck me was the ‘togetherness’ of the place – I didn’t hear a single negative word from anyone about anyone else in the area (individual wines, perhaps, or vintages, maybe, but that’s where it finished). I’m sure that likely exists is some pockets, but it was well hidden from open view and everyone seems to be working towards the same end game – promoting the region as a destination and then focussing on individual wineries and cellar doors.

It’s refreshing, and I can’t wait to come back.