The Pyrenees district in central Victoria has been a wine-growing region since 1887, when Yorkshire immigrant Edwin Makereth first planted vines in Avoca. His adviser, Italian viticultural expert Romeo Bragato, claimed that Avoca was particularly suited to wine-growing, noting the area's good drainage. He advised the planting of shiraz, pinot noir, mataro and verdelho, and encouraged other farmers to establish vineyards in the area.

Avoca almost lost its viticultural heritage as the Depression, World War II and the wool boom of the 1940s eventually saw the demise of the fledgling industry. In the early 1960s, however, an ex-schoolteacher turned earth moving contractor, Walter Henning, combined forces with some Ballarat businessmen and decided to establish a vineyard in the Moonambel area of the Pyrenees district.

The 688-hectare site at Taltarni (named by Walter Henning) became one of the founding wineries of the Pyrenees. It was first planted in 1969 and purchased by current owner, John Goelet (and Red Earth Nominees Pty Ltd), in 1972. Taltarni earned a strong international reputation for its portfolio of premium wines, especially the long-living red wines, methode champenoise styles and varietal sauvignon blanc (originally marketed as Fume Blanc).

References:
Taltarni Vineyards website http://www.taltarni.com.au/html/co_info/history.html.

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