Place of Changing Winds is the vineyard project of Bibendum’s founder and owner Robert Walters. It is a single site in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria where Walters and his team began planting in 2012. The POCW site is very close to Bindi and lies on the same geological belt and yet there are very clear differences. When it comes to geology and climate, things change very quickly. Regardless, this is certainly an area with a proven track record for quality Pinot and Chardonnay. This made the choice of varieties pretty simple. To be precise, the vineyard is in a little hamlet called Bullengarook, between Mount Bullengarook and Mount Macedon, in the hills above Gisborne, about one-hour north-west of Melbourne.
The practice: ‘No compromise, no regrets’ is the motto here with Rob drawing on his years of experience observing many of the great growers of Europe and translating what he considered to be ‘best practice’ to his particular setting. To understand how to establish and manage this kind of vineyard took a lot of research and has been the result of some 25 years of engagement with the best European growers.
All of the vineyard practices are designed to maximise life in the soil, which in turn, ensures a strong connection between the plant and its environment. They are also designed to maximise the health of the vine and to drive the vine roots down, where they can explore the sub-soil (for water and minerals).
The name: Our vineyard lies in an area that was called Warekilla by the original inhabitants, the Wurundjeri people. In their language, Warekilla meant Place of Changing Winds (a characteristic of the site that still holds true today).
The practice: ‘No compromise, no regrets’ is the motto here with Rob drawing on his years of experience observing many of the great growers of Europe and translating what he considered to be ‘best practice’ to his particular setting. To understand how to establish and manage this kind of vineyard took a lot of research and has been the result of some 25 years of engagement with the best European growers.
All of the vineyard practices are designed to maximise life in the soil, which in turn, ensures a strong connection between the plant and its environment. They are also designed to maximise the health of the vine and to drive the vine roots down, where they can explore the sub-soil (for water and minerals).
The name: Our vineyard lies in an area that was called Warekilla by the original inhabitants, the Wurundjeri people. In their language, Warekilla meant Place of Changing Winds (a characteristic of the site that still holds true today).
