Balgownie Bendigo & Balgownie Estate

Bendigo Beginnings

Balgownie Estate Bendigo is the birthplace of Balgownie wine. The property featured a 22.5-hectare vineyard with 45,000 grapevines situated on a gentle slope overlooking Myer’s Creek at Maiden Gully. This vineyard produced between 140 and 150 tonnes per vintage.

Optimum Conditions

A remarkable combination of alluvial clay soils and optimal climate (long warm summer days and cool overnight temperatures during the ripening months) made superb growing conditions for producing Balgownie’s intense and age-worthy wines (in particular, red wines).

Stuart Anderson who was a local pharmacist and a winemaker with a passion for classic French wine, planted the first vines at Balgownie Estate Bendigo in 1969. Before that time, it had been more than 80 years since a vineyard had been planted in the district.

Inspired by Dr Max Lake of Hunter Valley fame (Lake’s Folly – Australia’s first boutique winery), Anderson initially planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz in Bendigo, which celebrated their first vintage in 1972 and are still the mainstays of the vineyard today. Other sections were dedicated to Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Viognier and Sangiovese vines. Merlot, Viognier, and Sangiovese produced several classic and highly sought-after vintages.

Pioneers of Commercial Winemaking

Anderson and Balgownie Bendigo became pioneers of commercial winemaking, influencing a rapid expansion of winegrowing in Victoria’s central goldfields region and emerging as a serious red wine producer in the 1970’s. The Balgownie wine profile established was rich savoury flavours rather than simple fruity ones, with moderate alcohol and intelligent use of oak. The result was variety of wines with a rare combination of vibrancy, genuine sense of honesty, and capacity to develop in the cellar.

1999

In 1999 brothers and passionate wine lovers Des and Rod Forrester heard the rumour that Balgownie Estate was to be offered for sale. Digging out a couple of prized bottles of Balgownie Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Rod’s cellar, they found themselves hatching a plan to buy the vineyard and the winery in Bendigo. The Forrester brothers and their long-term family friend Bill Freeman submitted a tender that same day, and with little to-ing and fro-ing the vineyard was theirs.

Excited by the potential to restore an iconic Victorian brand, the Forrester family set about refurbishing Balgownie Bendigo’s vineyards and winery. They planted additional vineyards including the first Sangiovese vines, and modernised their winery operations with stainless tanks. The improvements proved vital to the quality and aging ability of Balgownie wines.

Yarra Valley Beginnings

In 1999 the Forrester’s purchased the Yarra Valley site. The first Yarra Valley vineyards were planted in 2001, producing between 40 50 tonnes per vinate. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were the two varieties best suited to the cool climate region. Construction of a cellar door, restaurant, conference centre, 70 spa suite apartments and a state-of-the-art day spa followed – the first stage of the development completed and open to the public in December 2005.

2013

In 2013 winemaker Tony Winspear was excited to discover that the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards had matured and were producing fruit that were of such exceptional quality, that they could be used to produce Estate wines for the very first time. The 2013 Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir both proved to be extraordinary wines with complexity and a depth of flavour that reflect the brilliance of the Estate wines from Bendigo.

2016

In June 2016, Balgownie was sold to Hang Tai Yue Group Holdings Ltd a Hong Kong public listed company who remain the owners of Balgownie today.

2020

In 2020, in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic, a terrible fire swept through the Yarra Valley Restaurant and Cellar Door (25th June). Balgownie Estate vowed to rebuild and construction spanned 2021. An innovative Eatery/Cellar Door out of a grand marquee operated in place of a tennis court throughout construction to offset business interruptions. Critical work was carried out behind the scenes to renew the Balgownie brand including a new wine website and wines club (shop.balgownie.com) and a new group website (balgownie.com). A new world class building featuring reception, restaurant and bar, cellar door and event facilities were welcomed in December 2021 (official public opening 2022).

2024

In 2024, Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley undertook much-needed renovations on the accommodation to ensure it was updated in line with the rest of the venue. This refreshed look maintains our venue’s luxurious appeal, making it the perfect accommodation choice in the Yarra Valley. Additionally, we launched Wellbeing by Balgownie, expanding into the wellness space with a series of retreats and wellbeing events designed to help guests reset and find inner peace.

2025 and beyond

In 2025, Balgownie Estate expanded its scope, now selecting and sourcing the best fruit from across Victoria to craft exceptional wines. With a renewed focus on innovation, our winemaker Tony is exploring new varieties and pushing the boundaries of creativity in winemaking. To support this exciting evolution, we have partnered with Wine by Sam to help produce our 2025 vintage, ensuring that every bottle continues to reflect the quality and heritage that Balgownie is known for.
Despite this expansion, Balgownie remains committed to producing its popular, award-winning varieties. Our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, made with Yarra Valley grapes, continues to be a standout, alongside our signature red wines that have long been celebrated for their depth and character.

Our Winemakers

Winemakers at Balgownie have been loyal and long standing (in over 50 years, there have been just five) – Founder Stuart Anderson, then Mildara Blass winemaker Lindsay Ross, Tobias Ansted, Mark Lane and now Tony Winspear who climbed the ranks from vineyard and cellar hand (1994) to Assistant Winemaker (2005), and finally Chief Winemaker (since 2012).