High Country Life

Experience stunning landscapes while learning more about regional viticultural practices during a vineyard tour! Wondalma, Courabyra and Mount Tumbarumba wineries all provide tours.

Tumbarumba’s cool climate is crucial to producing world-class early ripening varieties like Chardonnay. But growing grapes here can be challenging: winter temperatures drop considerably below zero; spring frosts often strike during bloom; and ultrapremium viticulture requires laborious and costly processes.

The Climate

Tumbarumba is Australia’s coldest viticultural region; an austere landscape boasting some of Australia’s highest altitude wine-producing vineyards. Set amongst the foothills of Snowy Mountains’ Mount Kosciuszko and surrounded by wilderness, Tumbarumba boasts some of the country’s top producers and premium vineyards.

This region’s unique climate combined with pure mountain air and water produce super-premium cool climate wines boasting pure fruit flavors and natural acidity, highly sought-after by both large wine companies as well as locally produced under various small labels.

Wine producers who create these wines are passionate, hands-on people driven by a love of their land and an ambition to craft the highest-quality wines possible from it. They know taking risks can reap great rewards.

Tumbarumba has long been known for its vineyards since white settlement, but commercial vines were first planted commercially in 1982. While early planting was destroyed by frost, local enthusiasm saw it come back strong by late 80s when vineyards had flourished into success.

Tumbarumba Vignerons Association President Cathy Gairn quickly clarifies that every vineyard has its own microclimate with individual weather patterns that may make one paddock perfect for making wine while another may not warrant risk-taking. Combine this with seven different soil types available so winemakers can create wines unique to each location.

High altitude in this region also contributes to its relatively short growing season and makes producing enough wine to supply larger wine companies challenging; due to this fact, only 214 hectares are currently under vine.

Tumbarumba wineries provide visitors with numerous tours designed to allow them to sample wines while learning more about this captivating area and its celebrated wine industry. Some tours include lunch at one of Tumbarumba’s restaurants while others give participants the opportunity to visit several wineries at once and sample various types of vino. When booking any tour it’s always wise to plan ahead as tourist seasons can quickly fill vineyards and wineries up – booking early will guarantee entry!

The Wines

Tumbarumba offers the ideal environment and soils for producing premium cool climate wines, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc grapes which produce wines which showcase their specific terroir with freshness and purity.

Many vineyards are family-owned, and their passion and expertise can be seen in the wines produced there. Their delicate yet elegant wines reflect conditions found only in cool climate conditions.

These wines exhibit a crystalline minerality, reflecting the purity of their vineyards. With rich granitic sandy loams and pockets of red basalt as the ideal growing conditions, resulting in wines with structure, finesse and distinctive flavor profiles.

Tumbarumba wines have earned high esteem among wine producers worldwide, and many large companies source grapes from here – and proudly feature Tumbarumba on their labels – because of their superior quality and low alcohol levels while boasting fruit intensity and length that rival that of Burgundy wines. Chardonnay especially stands out, thanks to Tumbarumba’s cool climate which results in producing wines which boast delicate fruit intensity with lasting length of flavour.

In 2019, the region was devastated by bushfires which destroyed and affected numerous vineyards with smoke taint, leaving many more with smoke-tainted vines. Luckily, most survived and are currently rebuilding. You can help support their efforts by buying their wine.

Tumbarumba winegrowers are passionate and dedicated winegrowers. Working closely with the unique characteristics of the vineyards and soils as well as pure mountain air and water to produce super premium cool climate wines with unique fruit flavours and natural acidity profiles. As such, they have earned themselves the reputation as one of Australia’s premier cool climate wine regions, one that has increasingly gained the respect of wine lovers nationwide – particularly boutique wineries with wine becoming available nationally. Coppabella Vineyard, McWilliam’s, Foggy Hill Linear Wines and Kosciuszko Wines all produce wines that reflect their respective terroir with clarity and expression unrivalled anywhere else in Australia; this makes their wines truly exceptional.

The Scenery

Tumbarumba region’s high altitude, granitic soils and cool climate make an ideal terroir for premium wines, particularly sparkling wines. Although Tumbarumba has garnered much renown for their sparkling offerings, the region is quickly gaining recognition for their still table wines; especially chardonnay and pinot noir varieties.

Family-owned vineyards form the backbone of our local wine industry and produce some outstanding wines. You should visit Courabyra, Allegiance and Johansen wineries to sample their offerings – each winery offers cheese platters or gourmet bites at its cellar door experience, too! Take the time to visit these wineries and chat with staff about your wine choices – you might just discover something truly outstanding!

Though you can create your own tasting experience, joining one of the many tours offered is also highly recommended. Many tours combine wine tasting with visits to Tumbarumba’s stunning vineyards for an experience worth your time and money.

The Great Tumbarumba Wine Tour offers just such an experience, taking you to four wineries in the area for tasting chardonnay and pinot noir wines as well as learning more about local history and culture. Additionally, The Great Tumbarumba Wine and Food Trail provides another self-guided option which takes visitors through some of Tumbarumba’s top wineries and restaurants.

Tumbarumba lies 471 km southwest of Sydney at an altitude of 701 metres above sea level and offers tranquil rural living on the southern slopes of the Snowy Mountains. A hidden treasure, its captivating natural surroundings include mountain peaks, natural bushland, lush pastures and crystal clear streams – not to mention charming villages such as Khancoban and Tumbarumba that exude country charm with historic buildings.

The area is known for its crisp mountain air and cold winters, making it the ideal summer getaway with balmy days and pleasant evenings. Snow-covered peaks and lush valleys serve as a stunning backdrop for many activities in this region such as an impressive rail trail, grass-fed cattle, abundance of blueberries and farm-gate produce sales.

The Tours

Tumbarumba offers many fantastic winery tours for wine enthusiasts. Visit vineyards with stunning vineyard settings and sample premium cool climate wines in breathtaking settings. Additionally, some vineyards feature restaurants so that your favourite vintages can be paired with delectable dishes!

Tumbarumba’s climate allows its vineyards to produce excellent wines, particularly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties, known for their elegance and purity of flavour. If you are passionate about wine, plan a wine tasting experience in Tumbarumba where you can meet and interact with its creator – an experience which may reveal more of how each bottle comes into existence and deepen your appreciation of his craftsmanship.

There are numerous wineries offering tasting experiences, each offering something unique. If you prefer intimate experiences, look no further than Borambola Wines on Lake Erie for an intimate tasting experience – located right by a picturesque lakeshore with a warm, welcoming environment and hosting multiple events each year, not just wine tasting!

Mount Tumbarumba Vineyard provides an unforgettable wine tasting experience. Owned and run by Richard Cottam and Elvie Yates, this boutique winery specializes in sophisticated cold climate wines crafted with great attention to detail – each one being an expression of Tumbarumba’s rich terroir.

If you enjoy seeing how wine is created, book a winery tour that takes you through its cellar door. Here, you can witness its production process first-hand while getting to taste directly from the barrels!

When visiting your chosen winery, you might also have an opportunity to tour its vineyards and learn more about the soil types present. Different sites feature various soil types which influence what wines they produce – some vineyards feature decomposed granite while others possess more red loam soil types.