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    RIDGY-DIDGE: Miners Ridge Wines’ Katrina and Andrew Toomey are celebrating success in the 2020 Western Victorian Wine Challenge. They won three trophies with their 2018 Miners Ridge AT Shiraz, including best wine of show. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
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    RIDGY-DIDGE: Miners Ridge Wines’ Katrina and Andrew Toomey are celebrating success in the 2020 Western Victorian Wine Challenge. They won three trophies with their 2018 Miners Ridge AT Shiraz, including best wine of show. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Armstrong wine-grape growers Andrew and Katrina Toomey honoured by ‘shock’ win

By SARAH MATTHEWS

About 20 years ago, Armstrong wine-grape growers Andrew and Katrina Toomey decided they would try their hand at producing wine of their own. 

A talented viticulturalist, Mr Toomey had helped many Grampians growers with advice and vineyard management, so a foray into winemaking was a natural progression.

Sometimes it was a success, other times it was poured down the sink. 



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About five or six years ago, the couple decided to pursue the passion more seriously, engaging internationally renowned winemaker Adam Richardson to craft wines from small parcels of their vineyard’s finest fruit – and it has sure paid off.

Miners Ridge Wines is the toast of this year’s Western Victorian Wine Challenge.

The competition, now in its 11th year, showcases some of the region’s best wines, judged under wine show conditions by esteemed wine critics.

The challenge has continued to grow in prestige and enables winemakers from western Victoria’s four winemaking regions – Grampians, Pyrenees, Henty and Ballarat – to gain feedback and recognition for their work.

Miners Ridge Wines won three trophies for its 2018 Miners Ridge AT Shiraz: Judges Best Wine of Show, the Kym Ludvigsen Memorial Award and best shiraz. 

The Toomeys are still coming to terms with their victory, which Mrs Toomey said was beyond their wildest dreams.

“It came as a big shock – we were very pleasantly surprised,” she said. “We hadn’t won a trophy before this so to win wine of the show, plus the Kym Ludvigsen award, was not something we had ever envisioned – ever.

“It is a huge honour.”

The 2018 Miners Ridge AT Shiraz was made from grapes grown on the ‘house’ block, which Mrs Toomey said consistently grew premium fruit each year. 

The wine boasts ‘rich and intense flavours of blackberry, cassis with hints of black pepper and chocolate-liquorice. Fruit flavours balanced by long finish and fine tannins that will further integrate with age. Peppery spice with red cherry and blueberry dominate with silky tannins that persist’.

“We are only a small vineyard, making about a tonne at a time,” Mrs Toomey said.

“We only made 35 cases of the wine that won the award – now I wish we made more.”

Mrs Toomey said although the wine of show trophy was the most prestigious, the Kym Ludvigsen Memorial Award held a special place in the couple’s heart.

“Kym and Andrew were great mates,” she said. 

“When he passed, we took on his vines from his wife. We make one shiraz from our house block and the other from ‘Kym’s block’.

“Andrew actually helped Kym establish his vineyard – so the whole thing was pretty special. 

“Even though that wasn’t the major award, it just means the world to us.”

The award, honouring the much-loved grape grower, vigneron and industry advocate who died in 2013, is for the best single vineyard wine.

Development 

The Toomeys have been working hard to develop their wine operation and opened a cellar door last year. 

“We love welcoming people and telling our story, sharing information about our wines,” Mrs Toomey said.

“Ours isn’t necessarily a regular tasting room, like some of the ones we’ve visited. Ours is very relaxed – sometimes too relaxed, because we’re so busy talking to people that we forget we’re supposed to be telling them about the wine they are tasting.”

Miners Ridge Wines produces two shiraz varieties, two rieslings, a cabernet and a chardonnay.

 

RIDGY-DIDGE: Miners Ridge Wines’ Katrina and Andrew Toomey are celebrating success in the 2020 Western Victorian Wine Challenge. They won three trophies with their 2018 Miners Ridge AT Shiraz, including best wine of show. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

The wines are produced using traditional methods of hand harvesting, open fermenting and basket pressing to ensure premium quality.

Miners Ridge does not produce each variety annually, with some varieties made every other year.

Like all businesses, the Toomeys’ has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They have had to shut the tasting room several times, along with a bed and breakfast set up on the property.

“We weren’t able to operate for a while because of restrictions and of course now, we are still restricted as to who is allowed to stay here,” Mrs Toomey said.

Development plans were put on hold while the couple looked to grow the winery’s online presence.

“We’ve taken a bit of time to get our heads around it all,” Mrs Toomey said.

“Obviously with the pandemic you don’t get the sales from restaurants, cafes and other suppliers because they’ve been closed. So, we concentrated on upgrading our website and adding an online store.

“It is very competitive though, because everyone is selling online at the moment. We’re only a small winery – it’s just Andrew and I – and there are a lot of bigger, established ones selling online as well.”

While sales have been affected, the growing side of the operation is progressing well.

“We’re predominantly grape growers and we sell to other wineries,” Mrs Toomey said. 

“We haven’t had too much trouble apart from having to follow a few regulations – the grapes don’t stop growing because there is a pandemic in the world.”

People can visit www.minersridge.com.au or search Miners Ridge Vineyard on Facebook for more information, including opening hours. 

• Other 2020 Western Victorian Wine Challenge trophy winners: Most successful winery, Taltarni vineyards; most successful region, Grampians; sparkling wine, Taltarni 2015 Brut; riesling, Montara 2018 Old Vine Riesling; chardonnay and other white, Dog-
rock 2019 Degraves Road Reserve Chardonnay; rosé, no trophy; pinot noir, Montara 2019 Home Block Pinot Noir; cabernet sauvignon, Glenlofty 2017 Original Cabernet Sauvignon; other reds, Grampians Estate 2019 Grenache; museum white, Grampians Estate 2005 Riesling; museum red, Montara 2010 Chalambar Road Shiraz; wines of provenance, Grampians Estate 10,12,17 St Ethels Shiraz. 

The entire October 21, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!