History.

Wine was grown in Victorias Yarra Valley from the mid 1800’s through to the 1920’s and was a principal export of the new colony. The industry was halted in the 1920’s not by phylloxera as many seem to think but by the economics of the day, changing tastes and the high price of wool.
It would need a visionary to re establish winemaking in the Valley and in 1969 one came along. Dr Bailey Carrodus was ideally qualified to become a great vigneron. A degree in botany, another in winemaking and a doctorate earned at Oxford for research into plant physiology, combined with a passion for great wine and a fiercely independent mind equipped him well.
In 1969 after a long search for the perfect site Dr Carrodus planted 12 hectares of vines at the foot of the Warramate Hills.
The gentle slope with its northerly aspect and deep grey silty loam shot through with bands of gravel fulfilled all of his requirements.
Good drainage, all day exposure to the warm sun, and enough elevation from the valley floor to avoid the spring frosts.
He named his vineyard Yarra Yering and in 1973 produced the first commercial wine made in the Yarra Valley since 1921.

Great wine is made in the vineyard. The vines at YY are grown without irrigation, and this combined with between row cultivation has driven their roots deep into the gravelly soil.
The yield is consequently low, 1-2 tons per acre, resulting in fruit with great intensity of flavour and colour and with a high level of natural acid. This is the rock on which YY wines are made. The rows of vines are planted three metres apart largely as a practical measure. In the 1960’s specialised vineyard equipment was not readily available so viticulture had to adapt to the use of machinery designed for broadacre farming. The vines are carefully hand pruned in winter by the permanent vineyard staff to a variation of the Guyot system, cane and spur. Interference with the soils is minimal, the vines are a conduit for taking whats in the soil and transferring it to the bottle through the fruit. As the vineyard has grown in size from the original 30 acre block to the current 70 acres new varieties have been planted to supplement the traditional cabernet, pinot, shiraz etc. A steep west facing hillside purchased in the 90’s was terraced and planted with Portuguese varieties to take advantage of the hot afternoon sun. A little further around the same slope where it kicked to the north nebbiolo and barbera have been planted after sangiovese proved unsuitable. An East facing slope below these varieties is planted to merlot and spots were found for Carmeniere, Mouvedre and Petit Verdot. Yarra Yering has not stood still, the endeavour to produce better wines is pursued constantly in the vineyard.

Attention to detail in the vineyard and in the winery is enhanced by small batch fermentation in metre by metre stainless steel lined wooden fermenters, and maturation in small French oak barrels.
Selection for quality with the culling of material not considered up to the mark is carried out at every step along the way. The wines are elegant, complex and powerful, and while approachable as young wines they have the ability to develop in the bottle for many years. Yarra Yering quickly gained an international reputation for quality and individuality, and for the next 35 years Dr Carrodus made his wines to great critical and commercial success.
In this time the vineyard was expanded to 70 acres and a wide variety of vines planted to augment the customary cabernet, shiraz, pinot etc. Italian and Portuguese varieties were experimented with, a vintage port becoming one of the Yarra Yering staples in the early 90’s.
In his later years Dr Carrodus ensured the continuation of the traditions he had established by training his successors in his viticultural and winemaking techniques.
Dr Carrodus died at home at Yarra Yering in Sept. 2008 but the winery he built continues to make great wine.