Dougs Wine Business

Otway Ranges, Victoria

Dinny Goonan Family Estate continues to go from strength to strength since their establishment in the late 1980s. They are located at Winchelsea on the Otway Ranges of South Western Victoria (they are actually in the Geelong G.I !) and produce a modest 1000 cases of high quality wine each year. Recently, they were awarded a five star rating by James Halliday in his 2010 Wine Companion.

So, what exactly is a Dinny Goonan? Well, Dinny Goonan is actually the owner and winemaker of the vineyard, with his name coming from his strong Irish heritage. Instead of planting potatoes, Dinny decided to plant vines and success quickly followed! Dinny's mission was to “produce wines of exceptional quality, with a focus on Riesling and Shiraz ". There is little doubt that this has been fulfilled, with some outstanding Halliday scores.

The Rieslings are most interesting with the EH being a glorious mix of citrus sweetness and acidity. The complexity was even more surprising given that it is a low-alcohol wine at only 8%. Limited quantities are available. The 2006 Shiraz is also superb with very distinctive cool-climate fruit characteristics.