Know your étiquette! Geelong

The Geelong region’s life as a #wine-growing area began in the mid-1800s, but it underwent a 100-year hiatus before rebirth in the mid-‘60s. Bannockburn Vineyards, planted by the Hooper family in 1974, started something truly exceptional with uncanny foresight, superb vineyards and the revelatory talent of Gary Farr, who went to establish By Farr.
These two terroir powerhouses on each other’s doorstep in the Moorabool Valley put Geelong on the world map. Its renown is trumped by Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, but it has distinctive, scattered sites, subregionality and a growing band of notable producers. (A quiet shoutout here to Mulline Vintners, crowned Best Value Winery in this week’s Wine Companion awards.)
Oakdene Vineyards is a perennial high-achiever in the Bellarine Peninsula subregion, and its 2023 Liz’s Chardonnay gave me an excuse for a cheap opening gag and a quick exploration of this region. It’s a lovely wine, and costs $45 direct from the winery website.