Rowanston on the Track

John and Marilyn Frederiksen were no strangers to grapegrowing and winemaking in the Macedon Ranges when they founded Metcalfe Valley Vineyard in 1995, planting 5.6ha of shiraz and going on to win gold medals at local wine shows. They sold the vineyard in early 2003 and moved to their new property, with over 9ha of vines (shiraz, pinot noir, riesling, merlot, and sauvignon blanc). The heavy red soils and basalt ridges hold moisture, which allows irrigation to be kept to a minimum. Rowanston has joined the Wine Export Initiative (WEXI), a co-operative of 36 small wineries across Australia that has recently opened two retail outlets in Singapore. The business was purchased by the Lew family in 2019. Exports to Hong Kong, Singapore and China. -JAMES HALLIDAY