Over 10 Years ago, Winemaker and owner Scott Ireland started thinking about the future and what he really wanted from it.
By then, he had created the Provenance label and was sourcing grapes from growers he had formed strong relationships with across Western Victoria. One site in particular; Scotsburn in the high Country near Ballarat particularly appealed to him.
So, in 2010 he bought some land in the region and on an East Facing slope of Chocolate soil over basalt he took a gamble and planted some pinot noir.
The gamble paid off and today, Scott alongside business partner Sam Vogel, has created a stunning and elegant range of wines that are named simply for their place of origin. The French call it 'terroir' but at Provenance Wines they call it 'Provenance'.
He identifies the vineyards he sources the fruit from on his labels as he believes this is what the wine is all about. 'It's where the quality of the wine, the truth of the wine is created'.
The Vineyards
Provenance Wines has eight vineyards in the Geelong, Ballarat, Macedon and Henty regions chosen specifically to match the variety that grows in them. Selecting a site which has ideal soil characteristics, weather conditions and elevation to suit the grape varietal, ensures the best chances of producing the best fruit for their wines. And, because of this, Provenance Wines vineyards all promote crisp natural acidity, inherent balance and refined beauty.
They four main varieties Scott and Sam work with are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. These varieties all suit the provenance they are sourced from, which (at some sites) can be classified as some of the coolest vineyards in Australia. Scott and Sam believe this adds clarity and verve to their wines; “When you taste our wines, you are tasting a slice of the country it was grown in, a slice of a season and a slice of our craft,” - Scott Ireland.
The Winery.
Scott and Sam set up Provenance Wines cellar door and winery at the historic 1870’s Fyansford Paper Mill which is nestled on the banks of the Barwon River on the outskirts of Geelong, Victoria.
The mill, which closed in 1923 has had various uses over the years including a cool store for manufacturing ice that was the largest in the southern hemisphere, plus it functioned as a munitions factory by the military during WW2.
Now the home and heart of Provenance Wines, the mill functions as a working 150 tonne, 10,000 case winery with the room that once housed an old 100-foot paper machine now functioning as a barrel maturation site and cellar door.
Outside the building the Barwon River creates a natural boundary. The River, once used to power the paper making machines at the mill now creates natural ambience and serenity whilst the stunning industrial space accommodates up to 250 people for events and there is a smaller River room that can hold a further 40 people in the winery area.
Scott and Sam are incredibly proud of the venue and took great care when renovating the building, ensuring they retained its historic integrity and charm whilst creating a warm and welcoming place to showcase ‘the regions provenance’ and provide place where people can have an opportunity to drink directly from the producer.
Interested in trying the Provenance range or would like to receive more information about the wines? We’d love to hear from you.