What's on at Gisborne Peak Winery

Hands-On Day: Pruning for Adoptive Parents Aug 6 2022

Join us on Saturday 6th August for our Annual Pruning Day at Gisborne Peak Winery!

The Pruning Day is one of several Hands-on Days we offer here at Gisborne Peak, and it is a fantastic opportunity for wine lovers and Adopt-A-Vine Parents to gain a ‘behind the scenes’ insight into the many vine-to-wine process.
The day starts at 9:15 a.m. with registration and coffee. Bob Nixon, owner and viticulturist, then runs a theory class in the different styles of pruning used in the vineyard. These pruning skills are very transferable to most bushes, plants and shrubs around the home garden. Three styles of pruning are used at Gisborne Peak Winery.

Armed with new knowledge, the participants can then practice their new skills in the vineyard, under supervision of course. “Some learn quickly, others are more hesitant but in the end they all have some new confidence and have learned, or honed, a very practical skill”, says Bob.

You will be finished by 1:00 p.m.

Lunch is included and pruners will be treated to some of the delicious wood-fired pizzas that the winery is known for, along with a few glasses of estate wine.  All of this for $30.00 per person or $20.00 pp if you are an Adopt-a-Vine member. 

Dress in layers, dress warm, wear suitable footwear (the ground can be wet), and bring your own secateurs if you have them - Bob will sharpen them for you.

This will no doubt be the last Pruning Day with Bob.  So if you want to learn from 'the master', best to sign up and soak up some of Bob's knowledge and skills.

PLEASE NOTE: The day is not suitable for children.

Wine Flights - the new wine tasting experience

Due to Covid regulations we cannot have people stand at the cellar door counter to taste wines. So the 'new' wine tasting is a seated Wine Flight.  This is four 40ml serves of wines of your choice, served to you at your table.  It is equivilent to a little over a full glass of wine, and the cost is $10.50 pp.  It is served along side tasting notes so you can read about the wines you are tasting.  No pressure to buy, no pressure to comment, no standing!  It's like a tea party but with wine.  You'll love it - it's here to stay.  The NEW wine tasting experience!  

Summer 2022 Newsletter & Events

Click here to read our latest Newsletter

Walk & Talk with Bob

 Bob Nixon is full of vineyard knowledge and loves to share it. Bob has been the viticulturist at Gisborne Peak Winery for 43 years and knows every nook, cranny and vine by heart. Enjoy his humour and insight into the world of growing the best grapes to make the best wines.

Also included in the tour is the eco-system associated with the four self-contained cottages, totally off-grid and powered by the sun and the wind.  A small wind turbines along with solar panels, a enviro-sep waste management system and cottages build from sustainable material is all explained in the tour.  Water management is so important and the use of recycled water is explained.  

Your vineyard walk and talk will take 1.5 hours, followed by a seated tasting with Bob, then lunch for the participants to follow the tasting.  Lunch includes a wood-fired pizza and a glass of wine.  Special discount for any wines purchased for takeaway (additional $15% off takeaway prices).

Cost $80.00 pp.   Allow 2.5 hours.  Phone the winery to arrange a tour.

Vineyard Report January 2022 

Apart from some hail damage about a month ago all seems to be well in our patch.

The grass is growing rapidly everywhere and as green as I have ever seen it at this time of the year and the growth of the vines is incredible.  If you stand still beside a vine long enough you will see it grow, I promise!!!  There are 2 problems with this scenario, the first is to keep the canopy open enough so that sunlight gets onto the bunches and second that the protective sprays against powdery and downy mildew can get in deep and do their job too.

We have just started using the hedging cutter bar to trim the wild shoots and gain some degree of control.  Water is no problem, we applied a decent drink just prior to the vines flowering and since then “Pluvius” has taken care of the rest.  Now all we need is sunshine to start get the grape berries to full size and start to ripen.

Takeaway available Sat & Sun, pick up at winery only until 5:00 pm

Takeaway Menu:

• 'Pizza and Wine Deal':  two pizzas and a bottle of wine of your choice  $50.00
• 'Gisborne Peak in a Box':  includes everything on our Taster's Platter (meats, cheese, dips, salad, bread), two pizzas, a bottle of wine, two etched wine glasses, and a bottle of wine) for $99.50, beautifully boxed.
• Additional pizzas:  $15 each,    Additional wines:  $25.00 each     Additional desserts:  $7.50
• 'Heaven on Earth':  two desserts and a bottle of Muscat    $40.00

PHONE IN ONLY AS COMPUTERS WILL NOT BE MONITORED OVER THE WEEKEND.    5428 2228   or 0432 185 009

Halliday Wine Companion 2022, Results are in! 

The wines at Gisborne Peak are the reason why this friendly and enchanting cellar door exists.  Bob takes meticulous care of the vines because as he says ‘all good wines start in the vineyard’.  This has been recently demonstrated in the medals the wines have received in the Halliday Wine Companion 2022.  This just released book, along with previous years, has again awarded Gisborne Peak Winery a Four-Star winery.  The definition of a Four-Star winery is that the winery is a ‘ Very good producer of wines with class and character.  Will have two or more wines rated at 90 points and above’. 

Bob and Barbara Nixon are very proud of their wines and happily worked with the Ellis family of Hanging Rock Winery to actually make their grapes into the wines that they love and want to sell.  Their 2018 Riesling received a Silver Medal along with their 2019 Semillon and 2017 Pinot Noir. 

Bob loves to teach people about the skill of growing grapes, called viticulture.  The winery offers a ‘Walk & Talk with Bob’ on weekends and you can book in for a walk, talk, wine tasting and lunch on their website:  www. gisbornepeakwines.com.au  Look for the Book an Experience button on the Home Page

Bob's interview on This Local Life

Listen to Bob on 'This Local Life', a podcast hosted by Gisborne local Pete Fraser.    You can listen here and we encourage you to go to wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to 'This Local Life' to hear more interviews with Macedon Ranges locals.  Bob talks about the challenges of starting a vineyard from scratch, his passion for growing the best grapes to make the best wine that are true to this particular place, soil, altitude and 'terroir'.  

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/this-local-life/id1514068000

https://open.spotify.com/show/3TLEQsVck3TjcLfwkBt29X?si=_2NseJXCQtqiJ04FB5Nhfg