Lerida Estate Winery

Local wine producer based in Canberra supplies wine to Glenella Restaurant

Jim Lumbers and Anne Caine established Lerida Estate in 1997, starting with a degraded pasture carefully selected for its viticultural and tourism potential. They are committed to building Lerida Estate into a substantial wine business targeting the “luxury goods” segment of the market with exceptional wines.

Lerida Estate has already won numerous medals and awards, including the ACT Chief Ministers’ Export Award, and most recently a Commendation in the 2007 Canberra and Region Tourism Awards. The wines are carried in many of Australia’s top restaurants. They sell in the super premium and icon price ranges at up to $60 a bottle. The quality of the wine being produced by this very young business is testament to the potential for viticulture of the soil and climate (terroir) of the eastern slopes of the Lake George Range.

For those not familiar with the Canberra region, Lerida is situated at the base of the escarpment of the Lake George Range that runs along the western side of Lake George. The Lake, when it has some water in it, is some 45km NE of Canberra and on the route of the Federal Highway, which goes to Goulburn and ultimately to Sydney.

The Lake George Range rises steeply from the Western shores of the Lake. The alluvial fans at the foot of the range form a perfect location for viticulture. The soils are relatively infertile and drain freely. These conditions encourage deep-rooted, healthy vines and provide enough stress to favour the production of grapes with thick skins and excellent fruit flavours and, as we read in a recent edition of Nature, high levels of anti-ageing polyphenols.

The slopes face East allowing the rising sun to dry out any dew, and so reduce the impact of moulds and mildews. The steepness of the slopes also contributes to vine health by promoting good air drainage and reducing the risk of frost damage during the growing season.

In addition, as with the rest of the district, Lake George has the ideal ripening conditions for super-premium wines. The bright sunny days of March and April combine with cold nights to prolong maturation and retain the delicate aromatic compounds essential for the expression of varietal flavours.

The Vineyard 

At Lerida Estate 19.42 acres of vines have been planted on lower slopes of Lake George Range. Vines planted consist of:

• Pinot Noir 9.58 acres
• Pinot Gris 2.94 acres
• Chardonnay 2.42 acres
• Shiraz 1.56 acres
• Merlot/Cabernet Franc 1.68/.45 acres
• Viognier 0.79 acres

 For more information, feel free to visit Lerida Estate's web site.


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