Moppity Vineyards expands into Canberra with purchase of Kerralee vineyard

Hilltop’s most awarded winery has expanded into Canberra with the purchase of the old Kerralee vineyard (pictured above) on the Barton Highway on the outskirts of Murrumbateman.

“I see Canberra, Hilltops and Tumbarumba as the Holy Trinity; the heart and soul of Southern NSW winemaking. We’ve long held a belief that these areas can produce some of the best and most exciting wines in Australia. And now we are pleased to announce that we have a foothold in all three” – Jason Brown announces the purchase of a third vineyard in Southern NSW.

Moppity Vineyards owners Jason & Alecia Brown are excited by the opportunity to extend their access to ultra-premium fruit. This move paves the way for a purpose built cellar door and winery to be centrally located near their Hilltops & Tumbarumba vineyards and in close proximity to the Canberra tourism market.

“If there’s one thing that’s excited me the most at Moppity, it’s the capacity to surprise people with our wines. Hilltops was underrated when we bought the (then dilapidated) Moppity vineyard from the hands of receivers in 2004. The Coppabella vineyard was struggling financially and on the verge of being removed before we bought it in 2011. On the back of a lot of toil, sweat and tears (and a little blood), we’ve resurrected both sites and they’ve achieved well-deserved acclaim since then. Similarly, our new Canberra vineyard has phenomenal potential. A lot has changed in the years since we made our first wines. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve and evolve and I believe we’re at the top of our game today,” said owner Jason Brown.

The new winery will raise the quality of Moppity and Coppabella wines even further through greater winemaking control, improved facilities, a reduction in grape transport quality impacts and a smaller environmental footprint. And the wines being produced on-site in Canberra will add yet another dimension to the Moppity portfolio.

Jason explains, “we already have a diverse range of varieties and wine styles that showcase what Southern NSW has to offer. But Canberra has its own unique personality that needs to be expressed; the Shiraz has a lovely perfume and a succulent savoury character that is reminiscent of the Northern Rhone style”

“The Canberra vineyard was originally planted in 1994 and we plan to graft our two best clones of Shiraz onto the original rootstocks. We will be expanding the vineyard to plant a further three clones of Shiraz (Canberra’s hero clones) and some Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and two clones of Riesling. By 2021/2022 we should be in position to showcase wines from all three regions under one roof – they will form a strong alliance in promoting Southern NSW as one of Australia’s most exciting wine making precincts.”

Moppity Vineyards is family owned and run. The business began in 2004 with the purchase of the ‘Moppity’, Hilltops vineyard (planted in 1973) and was then expanded to include the Tumbarumba, Coppabella brand in 2011.

 

Jason and Alecia Brown walking through the original vineyard planted in 1994. It was planted to Pinot Noir and Merlot, and the arms have been cut off in preparation for grafting Shiraz and Viognier.