Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria

The Bellarine Peninsula is one of Australia’s best-kept secrets. Oakdene Vineyards is the reason it won’t stay secret for much longer.

Established in 2001 in Wallington - where Port Phillip Bay and the Bass Strait conspire to keep things cool, maritime, and honest - Oakdene is a family affair in the best possible sense. Steven and his daughter Issy run the estate with a shared obsession for precision: low yields, gentle handling, and an unwillingness to rush anything.

The Bellarine Peninsula sits between Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula - Victoria’s cool-climate heartland - and is shaped by its proximity to some of the coldest stretches of water in the Southern Ocean. That maritime influence keeps growing seasons long and temperatures moderate, creating Shiraz that isn’t as heavy as those coming out of the Barossa, and Cabernet that tastes like it comes from Bordeaux. Oakdene’s loamy, free-draining soils add another dimension: excellent drainage that stresses the vines just enough to concentrate flavour without punishing the yields.

We met Steven and Issy at the London Australia tasting, fell immediately for their wines, and then ran into them in the pub later that evening - which felt entirely right. It’s that kind of producer. Serious about quality, brilliant to spend time with, and making wine that rewards your attention.

Read more at www.oakdene.com.au