Our Winery
The Region:
Turner’s Crossing Vineyard is located in Bendigo, an historic wine-growing region in Central Victoria, Australia. The vineyard is located on the banks of the Loddon River, at Turner’s Crossing, a popular ford used by local farmers in the mid to late 1800s.
For well over a century the ranges of Central Victoria surrounding Bendigo have been home to some of Australia’s greatest wines. The first grapes were planted in the region in 1856, just after the start of the massive gold rush. The gold rush brought tens of thousands of hopeful diggers from around world, many of whom had extensive knowledge of the wines and foods of Europe. Their knowledge, combined with the exceptional quality of Bendigo fruit, yielded wines of such distinction that the judges at the 1873 Vienna Exhibition were heard to exclaim of Bendigo’s early Hermitage (Shiraz) that “no Colonial wine can be that good!”
The tradition of great wines in Bendigo continues, as evidenced by the accolades in the press and the numerous awards at wine shows throughout Australia.
The Label:
Turner’s Crossing is the realisation of a dream for grape grower Paul Jenkins, who spent many years honing his craft on a small vineyard at Yankee Creek (a few kilometres south-east of Bendigo) before planting the Turner’s Vineyard just west of Serpentine.
When winemaker Sergio Carlei of Carlei Estate initially purchased fruit for his green vineyard label, he was so impressed with the results he immediately struck up a business partnership with Paul to release the Turner’s Crossing wines under their own label. The wines received immediate success with the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon (also bottled under the Green Vineyard label) receiving a blue gold at the Sydney International Wine Show. Turner’s Crossing wines are now found across Australia and are exported to four continents.
The Vineyard:
The 103 acres of vines at Turner’s Crossing are planted on well-drained red sandy clay loam topsoil. The subsoil is red light-medium clay, containing limestone pebbles. There is minimal use of chemicals and pesticides are not used at all. Vines are spur pruned and bud numbers are calculated to allow low yields.
The Turner’s Crossing vineyard is planted to Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. In addition to our own label in past years we have regularly supplied fruit to Hanging Rock, Blackjack, Chateau Leamon, Seppelts, Cellarmasters, Sandhurst Ridge, Mount Moliagul and Carlei Green Vineyards.
Vineyard Facts:
Location
747 Old Bridgewater-Serpentine Road, Serpentine, 40 kilometres North West of Bendigo on the banks of the Loddon River. This section of the Bendigo GI produces some exceptional wines -the vineyard is around 10 kms north of both Water Wheel and Pondalowie Vineyards, and 20 kms west of Connor Park.
Technology
Soil moisture monitoring throughout the vineyard using gypsum blocks logged every 4 hours using MEA weather station.
Soils
Red light medium sandy clay loams over red light medium clay containing limestone pebbles. Well drained.
Plantings
28Ha Shiraz (PT23) -1999
12Ha Cabernet (SA125)-1999
First Vintage: 2001
Harvest dates
Shiraz: Mid-March
Cabernet: March/April.
Average yield is below 3 tonnes per acre