Sterlina Wines is a private artisan wine label, producing wines with the aim to showcase diversity, innovation and excellence within the three key components of a truly great wine – Terroir, Viticulture and Winemaking practices.
This has resulted in Sterlina Wines engaging with vineyards and winemakers from Central Victoria – Heathcote and Bendigo to produce a style of wine that we have enjoyed for many years – fruit driven with fine oak integration and complex aromas. Heathcote and Bendigo wine region was selected due to their terroir qualities, sustainable farming practices adopted by vineyards and their ability to produce consistent and highly concentrated quality fruit.
Proud and experienced vignerons and winemakers have sourced fruit from the following wine regions for Sterlina Wines:
Heathcote
Mount Burrumboot Estate
Chalmers Heathcote Vineyard
Terroir
Soil: Pre Cambrian Soil with complex mineralogy, this calcium-rich red soils is made up of weathered “greenstone” and possesses excellent water retention to ensure enough water is held in the soil to feed the vine throughout the growing season.
Weather: Hot days with cool nights, north of Heathcote, Mount Camel Range experiences up to 1.8 degrees Celsius warmer than south of Heathcote, resulting in a shorter growing seasons than southern Heathcote.
Rainfall: The Heathcote region’s rainfall is evenly distributed between the seasons. 279 mm growing season rainfall, north of Heathcote is drier than the south and typically receives an average of 5-10mm less rain per month during the vines growing season (October to April).
Viticulture
Slope orientation – East facing, with east-west row orientation for even exposure and free flowing air-drainage to reduce disease risk.
Organic nutrition, fungicide programs and non-residual weed control have been adopted to improve soil heath. Also diversity in soil microflora is encouraged, so that the vines receive natural nutrients as far as possible.
Berry size is small, allowing for depth and concentration in flavour and aroma.
Winemaking
Minimal intervention allowing fruit and terroir to express itself in the wine. These wines contain minimal Sulphite and all wines have no fining agents added, therefore are Vegan friendly.
Bendigo
Two Creeks vineyard –Strathfieldsaye, Bendigo
Viticulture
Most of vineyard runs east west which avoids sunburn from the west later in the day.
This vineyard adopts viticulture practices that are sustainable and regenerative as follows:
- Only premium vermiculture, seaweed, biochar products are used on this vineyard
- NO pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilisers products are used
- Intensively graze sheep through vineyard in winter
- Mulch prunings back into soil
- Maintain ground cover to provide living mulch
Averages yields are restricted up to 2 tonne per acre, resulting in small to average berry size.
Terroir
Soil: Clay loam on top of quartz, buckshot and granite base.
Weather: Warm to hot climate – This region has hot, dry summers, cool, wet winters and crisp nights year round.
Rainfall: 248MM – Growing season rainfall (October to April)
Winemaking
Winemaker: Wes Vine
Wes’s extensive experience allows Sterlina Wines to adopt both traditional and innovative winemaking methods. Discussions are held with Wes prior to vintage to determine the style of wine based on vintage conditions and quality of fruit.