Rochford Wines

Category: Wine Tastings

  • Celebrate International Pinot Noir Day

    Celebrate International Pinot Noir Day

    The 18th of August marks International Pinot Noir Day, a time to pay homage to one of the world’s most popular wine grapes and a favourite varietal here at Rochford Wines.

    Originating centuries ago from the revered Burgundy wine region in France, Pinot Noir takes its name from the French words for “pine” and “black”, referencing both the pine-cone shaped grape clusters and the deeper colour of the fruit. While Burgundy remains its birthplace, today Pinot Noir is grown extensively in many other cool climate wine regions around the world, including right here in the Yarra Valley.

    Brought into Australia in the early 1800s, Pinot Noir (a black thin-skinned wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera) was planted in the Yarra Valley – Victoria’s first wine region and now one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Australia – with the cool climate and soil ideally suited for growing conditions.

    At Rochford, Pinot Noir is grown across our diverse single vineyards in the heart of the Yarra Valley – each with distinctly unique microclimates, soils and elevations, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with well-balanced acidity, capturing the essence of each site’s origin.

    Often described as “the most romantic of wines”, Pinot Noir is characterised by its delicate flavours of red fruits and spices, soft tannins, high acidity and lighter colour compared to other red wines.

    The Rochford Estate Pinot Noir 2021 hasa very fragrant nose of dried rose petals, red plum, warm spicy red berry fruits and a background hint of forest floor. The palate follows a similar path of red berry fruit, particularly raspberries, with a river pebble tannin providing structure. Lively acid gives freshness. This should evolve to be a classic Yarra Pinot Noir.

    The Rochford Single Vineyard ‘L’Enfant Unique’ Pinot Noir 2019 is a medium ruby red. Aromas of Asian spice, rose petal potpourri and plush red fruits form a heady bouquet on this Pinot Noir. It is a well formed, relatively muscular Pinot fruit that sits in comfortable repose on a bed of earthy forest floor humus and herby/bracken flavours. A wine to wallow in the sumptuous fruit, savoury mushroom and long spicy oak tannin finish.

    Versatile and food-friendly, Pinot Noir can be enjoyed with a wide range of foods from roast meats, rich pasta dishes and casseroles to chocolate-based desserts and a variety of cheeses and cured meats. 

    Explore our beautiful range of Rochford Pinot Noir today and see why this red varietal is loved by winemakers and enthusiasts globally.

    Celebrate International Pinot Noir Day with a visit to the Rochford Cellar Door or shop our extensive Pinot Noir range online here.

  • Rochford Gin Bar – a unique sensory experience

    Rochford Gin Bar – a unique sensory experience

    Captivate your senses and discover the wonderful world of gin at Rochford Wines – the perfect way to warm up this winter. Whether you’ve sampled our wine-infused gin before (and are coming back for more) or you’re curious to try something new, the Gin Bar, nestled within our beautiful estate, is a great place to start.

    The Gin Bar at Rochford is an elegant purpose-built space where gin lovers can gather and explore the distinct characteristics of our masterfully curated gins, created in collaboration with the Alchemy Distillery team.

    Take the Rochford wine experience to a whole new level and immerse yourself in a unique sensory experience guided by our highly knowledgeable and dedicated team. Explore our wine-infused gin range comprising Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, as we deconstruct each gin for you and guide you through the flavour profiles while matching fruit and botanicals.

    As well as offering gin tastings, our Gin Bar also provides a selection of classic gin cocktails, which you can sample while sitting at the bar or enjoy out on the terrace overlooking the stunning vineyard.

    Rochford is proud to create memorable experiences for all our guests, allowing you to tailor your perfect Yarra Valley adventure. 

    “My friend and I visited Rochford Winery yesterday to taste some gin. From the get-go, the staff were so kind and accommodating. We were given a tasting by Linsey, who was so warm and welcoming and so knowledgeable about the gin. We would like to thank Linsey for the amazing experience we had, it was thoroughly enjoyable and because of such amazing customer service, I came back today to buy a bottle of gin”.

    – Customer Testimonial

    The Rochford Gin Bar is open 7 days a week. Click here to book your gin tasting experience or call (03) 5957 3333.

  • Winter Experiences at Rochford Wines

    Winter Experiences at Rochford Wines

    This season, escape the chill and allow us to captivate your senses with a range of fantastic experiences on offer at Rochford Wines throughout the winter months.

    Winter Dining at Isabella’s

    For the ultimate winter dining experience, you can’t go past a stunning lunch at our premier restaurant, Isabella’s. With our new winter menu recently launched, spend the day indulging in some of the finest and most delicious dishes featuring the freshest, local produce found right here in the Yarra Valley. All our meals are complemented by Rochford’s premium range of spectacular wines, with our team of experienced Sommeliers on hand to recommend the perfect wine match, with selections available from the current list as well as a curated list of museum wines.  

    If that isn’t enough to tempt you, then throughout winter, experience the warmth and cosiness of our open fireplace at Isabella’s. The ideal spot to grab a bite to eat, host a celebration or just settle in for the afternoon with a glass of your favourite Rochford wine, as you soak in the majestic beauty of our vineyard and surrounding, rolling hills.

    Mulled Wine Tastings

    A cold winter’s day calls for mulled wine! Filled with soul warming spices, aromatics and fruit flavours, enjoy a mulled wine tasting in our Cellar Door or savour a soothing glass (or two) by the fireplace. For those who don’t feel like braving the cold, our Mulled Wine Winter Warmer Packs are also available to order online.

    Indoor Live Music

    The home of live music in the Yarra Valley, Rochford continues this winter to bring you some of the best entertainment at the Rochford Concert Lounge. Our on-site indoor live music venue delivers the ultimate dinner and show experience with incredible tribute acts, acoustic bands and up and coming artists featured every weekend.

    Unique Indoor Event Spaces

    There is nothing better than getting together with loved ones to celebrate a special occasion or milestone and our beautiful winery function spaces cater to all – from intimate occasions to larger group bookings. A versatile wine, food and entertainment destination, we can also tailor your specific corporate and event needs to suit, from smaller group meetings through to large gala dinners or breakfast conferences.

    To book your Rochford winter experience today, call us on (03) 5957 3333.

  • Rochford Single Vineyard New Release Showcase

    Rochford Single Vineyard New Release Showcase

    Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with Chief Winemaker Kaspar Hermann and Cellar Door Manager John Bright.

    These four individual and distinctive Single Vineyard Release Experiences are the perfect opportunity for a lover of wines to understand more about the terroir of specific single vineyard sites and the wines that come from these totally unique Yarra Valley vineyards.    

    This half day wine journey also includes a 2-course lunch in our Isabella’s Restaurant featuring the best in local seasonal produce all perfectly matched with 3 of the latest release wines from the Vineyard of the Day to enjoy with lunch.

    For more information or to make a booking, please email linsey@rochfordwines.com.au or call (03) 5957 3333.

    Saturday July 10th – Upper Yarra Valley.  Think Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from our ‘Dans les Bois’, ‘Terre’ and ‘Premier’ ranges and you are there.  Fragrant, distinctive and elegant. 

    Saturday August 7th – Rochford Hill Road Vineyard, Coldstream.  This special day is for the red wine lovers – we will have our highly anticipated new release ‘L’Enfant Unique Pinot Noir 2019, Premier Pinot Noir 2019 and the first showing of a new wine in our Single Vineyard family – the Hill Road Syrah 2019. 

    Saturday August 23rd – Isabella’s Vineyard, Gruyere.  This vineyard boasts our oldest vines and this will be a showcase of elite, cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

    Saturday September 4th – Toolangi Vineyard, Dixons Creek.  It is all about site with these wines.  These are our best of the best of Toolangi with different vintages on offer from the Toolangi E Block Chardonnay, Toolangi F Block Pinot Noir and Toolangi D Block Shiraz. 

    Gather your friends to come along for this all-inclusive price for an intimate, one off experience.  Price is $120 per person. 

    Maximum guests per day is 16 people. 

    The Vineyard of the Day overview:

    11.00am – Meet John in cellar door for tea or coffee and pastries on arrival

    11.30am – Head out to the Barrel Hall to meet Kaspar and explore the 2021 vintages and taste the matching current new releases.

    12.30pm – Parallel back vintage tasting with John

    1.00pm – Two course lunch featuring the best seasonal produce at Isabella’s Restaurant at Rochford Wines accompanied by matching wines from our new releases

    T&Cs: Nonslip footwear essential.  Dress warmly and be prepared for inclement weather. Please advise of any dietary requirements upon booking.