Meet the Dark Horse Winery finalists

The Macedon Ranges is one of Victoria's best-kept secrets. Just over an hour's drive north of Melbourne, you'll be greeted by tree-lined avenues, mile-long driveways and heritage buildings. The region has a vinous history that dates back to 1860, when wineries first sprang up (before disappearing again around the outbreak of the First World War). Winemaking didn't really take off again until 1968, when artist and restaurateur Tom Lazar established the Virgin Hills vineyard. 

Today, Macedon belongs to what James Halliday has called the "Melbourne dress circle" of pinot noir regions. The variety is a regional standout, along with chardonnay, riesling, shiraz and sparkling wine.

And there's no better place to sample these varieties than the three wineries below. Try pinot noirs from Kyneton Ridge and Paramoor, and a chardonnay from Lyons Will Estate. 

Amour Wines

Winemaker and owner Matt Eades says: At Amour we’re all about well balanced, linear elegance and patiently produced wines, there’s no pumps and no hurry with the Chardonnay which generally spends 18 months in French oak, Pinot Noir 12-18months and the Shiraz staying put for 24months before bottling.

No cellar door however we do 1on1 tastings with the winemaker by appointment only, it’s a personal experience in the winery or by the vines. We offer a local cheeseboard with some estate made salami with the tasters experiencing and seeing the whole process.

H. What do you love about making wine in Orange?
ME. I love the different attitudes and microclimates Orange has to offer, particularly the impact the cool nights have on the wines and the natural acidity that ends up in the final product, hello Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

H. How do you approach the winemaking process?
ME. Both vineyard and winery production is by hand, no machines or pumps involved, all processes are gravity fed, whilst being a hands off approach for wine production, all wines go through wild fermentation, primary (chardonnay) and secondary in barrel, theres a purity to the wines and beautifully aromatic given the altitude influence we get in Orange. I cant see myself changing this approach given what im seeing in the bottle and how the wines age with power. Loads of excitement ahead having moved into the new winery and new vineyards of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz to plant.

H. How does it feel to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award?
ME. I haven’t stopped buzzing since hearing the news, its so wonderful to receive this acknowledge for the wines I so passionately make and love. Thank you Halliday wine companion.

Wine to try

2019 Amour Wines Double Barell Shiraz

Best enjoyed: Pair with something rich and meaty such as wagyu sirloin or a slow cooked lamb shoulder. Decant for a couple of hours at 12 degrees celsius. 

RRP $110 | Drink to 2039 | amourwines.com.au | Shop this wine

ChaLou Wines

Winemaker Nadja Wallington says: My Husband Steve and I launched ChaLou Wines in 2021 after purchasing an existing vineyard in the Orange region in 2020. ChaLou focuses on the four varieties we believe Orange does effortlessly well; Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.  Our 6ha of vineyard is the perfect size for us to do it ourselves- we grow the grapes, craft and bottle the wines on our family estate.  This enables us to nurture all aspects of the winemaking journey from bud to bottle. Our main focus is growing the best grapes possible from our unique site so that we can craft our wines with the least amount of intervention possible.  When you have fantastic grape quality the winemaking is easy.  Doing less to show more when it comes to our winemaking methods -  with wild ferments, no fining and minimal filtration.  We are focused on connection and are passionate about making authentic expressive wines.  

Our aim is to produce authentic and expressive wines that capture our site each season.  Our approach starts with the vineyard; ensuring we have healthy soils for our vines to grow then nurturing them throughout the season.  To us timing is so important- doing things at the right time to get things to their optimum potential.  Winemaking follows suit- watching each wine find its unique expression.  We wild ferment, no fining and minimal filtration.  We believe that the connection we have through a function of our size gives us the ability to engage, nurture and enhance wine quality within each aspect of the winemaking process from bud to bottle.

H. What do you love about making wine in Orange?
NW. The Orange region is still being discovered, we are a young region with lots of opportunity and it is a wonderful community to be a part of.  Orange is a region uniquely defined by elevation ranging from 600m to over 100m; this gives a huge range to the region allowing it to make a spectrum of cool climate varieties exceptionally well.  Sitting at 900m we have a cool site and we enjoy the elegance and poise this gives to the wines made here.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
NW. Perched on the side of the Cobaw State Forest, our cellar door is set up to celebrate not only all the vineyards around it but also a stunning elevated view across the Lancefield valleys. The vast glass building is designed to capture it all. Obviously, you’ll probably run into myself or Renata so the experience will be intimate, interesting and, most of all, relaxing and fun. Open Friday to Sunday 11am–5pm. Walk ins welcome.

H. How does it feel to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award?
NW. It is enormously humbling to receive this recognition of our hard work.  We love what we do and it is so encouraging to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award.

Wine to try

2023 ChaLou Riesling

Best enjoyed: Serve chilled with pippies in XO sauce and chilli. 

RRP $35 | Drink to 2034 | chalouwines.com.au | Shop this wine

Samson Tall

Winemaker and owner Paul Wilson says: Samson Tall Cellar Door is housed in an old Weslyan Church built in 1854. There is a historical cemetery, home to many of McLaren Vale’s pioneers, including Samson Tall himself. The winery is on site and available for viewing, large lawns and gardens, looking out over neighboring vineyards. 

Information around your preferred style, the traits you like to see in your wines, how you achieve this in the vineyard and winery, and any other key focuses/inspirations.
Our wines are made in a style that suits the climate and food lifestyle of the region. Medium bodied and savory, they suit the  Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale and compliment the modern lighter food style of the region. McLaren Vale is a world class wine and food region, very compact in a tourism sense, great boutique accommodation, outstanding restaurants and the best beaches. 

H. What do you love about making wine in McLaren Vale?
PW. McLaren Vale is a true maritime climate, a perfect place to grow premium wine grapes. Going for a swim at the beach with the kids after work. Playing golf instead of going to work.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
PW. This can include your cellar door offering, tasting options, restaurant etc. The winery and cellar door are small but beautiful. Views across neighboring vineyards, local artwork, lawns, gardens and dogs. Relax in the sunshine and enjoy a tasting. The site has lots of History, Church Built in 1854, including local cemetery. Beautiful views, lawns and gardens. On site operational winery. All varieties produced ( Picpoul / Grenache Blanc, Cinsault / Mataro, Grenache, Tempranillo ) excluding shiraz are drought tolerant and love the sunshine, so the varieties are very well suited to McLaren Vale. We love living here because it is close to the ocean.

H.How does it feel to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award?
PW. It is very exciting to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award.

Wine to try

2022 Samson Tall Grenache

Best enjoyed: Enjoy this wine with "The Banquet" at The Little Rickshaw. Serve at 19 degrees in a fancy glass!

RRP $32 | Drink to 2030 | samsontall.com.au | Shop this wine

See Saw Wine

Head winemaker Monica Gray says: Since taking over from Will Fraser, who began planting in the early 2000s with some incredible pinot noir, riesling, and pinot gris clones, we have discovered the unique challenges this environment delivers on a regular basis. The soils for example, derived from sandstone and shale are predominantly low fertility shallow brown-yellow clay loams. The clay helps to keep the loam less fertile, allowing us to produce high-quality grapes and award-winning wines. The vineyard's distinctiveness stems in part from its altitude of 550m and cold air down-flowing from the surrounding ridges, fostering extreme diurnal shifts that slow grape ripening, preserve acidity, and enhance varietal purity. 

H. Can you tell us about your winery and your wines?
MG. The wine making challenges at Paramoor are due to the unpredictability and variation of weather conditions that keeps us on our toes. But probably the most exciting aspect of growing fruit here is how quickly the temperature shifts from day to night (diurnal range), which is fantastic for pinot noir in particular. The shift is helpful for retaining acidity, slowing ripening and producing wines of elegance and depth with intense perfume. Further north we lease from warmer sites within the ranges where exceptional warmer climate fruit such as shiraz, merlot, malbec and cabernet franc, and we source from Colbinabbin for cabernet and shiraz.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
MG. A meandering 600 metre drive past the pinot gris block on the left and the horse paddock on the right and into the winery and settlers' village replete with Clydesdale barn, chaff mill and settler’s cottage, far from the hustle and bustle of Three Chain Road. Current vintage wines are available for tasting inside the barn, which runs monthly woodfired pizza and music days. Cheese platters to sit in or outside are available, as are wines by the glass.  

H. How does it feel to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award?
MG. A meandering 600 metre drive past the pinot gris block on the left and the horse paddock on the right and into the winery and settlers' village replete with Clydesdale barn, chaff mill and settler’s cottage, far from the hustle and bustle of Three Chain Road. Current vintage wines are available for tasting inside the barn, which runs monthly woodfired pizza and music days. Cheese platters to sit in or outside are available, as are wines by the glass.  

Wine to try

2022 See Saw Invergo Syrah

Best enjoyed: Pair with grilled steak of lam chops, a ragu pasta or lasagna, and roast red meats with all the extra sides. Best enjoyed on a cool evening, at room temperature in a big wine glass, even better if you have the fire roaring, sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family and a bit of Fleetwood Mac playing in the background. 

RRP $40 | Drink to 2032 | seesawwine.com | Shop this wine

The Pawn Wine Co

Winemaker Geoff Plahn says: Since taking over from Will Fraser, who began planting in the early 2000s with some incredible pinot noir, riesling, and pinot gris clones, we have discovered the unique challenges this environment delivers on a regular basis. The soils for example, derived from sandstone and shale are predominantly low fertility shallow brown-yellow clay loams. The clay helps to keep the loam less fertile, allowing us to produce high-quality grapes and award-winning wines. The vineyard's distinctiveness stems in part from its altitude of 550m and cold air down-flowing from the surrounding ridges, fostering extreme diurnal shifts that slow grape ripening, preserve acidity, and enhance varietal purity. 

H. Can you tell us about your winery and your wines?
GP. The wine making challenges at Paramoor are due to the unpredictability and variation of weather conditions that keeps us on our toes. But probably the most exciting aspect of growing fruit here is how quickly the temperature shifts from day to night (diurnal range), which is fantastic for pinot noir in particular. The shift is helpful for retaining acidity, slowing ripening and producing wines of elegance and depth with intense perfume. Further north we lease from warmer sites within the ranges where exceptional warmer climate fruit such as shiraz, merlot, malbec and cabernet franc, and we source from Colbinabbin for cabernet and shiraz.

H. What can guests expect from a visit to your cellar door?
GP. A meandering 600 metre drive past the pinot gris block on the left and the horse paddock on the right and into the winery and settlers' village replete with Clydesdale barn, chaff mill and settler’s cottage, far from the hustle and bustle of Three Chain Road. Current vintage wines are available for tasting inside the barn, which runs monthly woodfired pizza and music days. Cheese platters to sit in or outside are available, as are wines by the glass.

H. How does it feel to be shortlisted for the 2025 Dark Horse Winery award?
GP. A meandering 600 metre drive past the pinot gris block on the left and the horse paddock on the right and into the winery and settlers' village replete with Clydesdale barn, chaff mill and settler’s cottage, far from the hustle and bustle of Three Chain Road. Current vintage wines are available for tasting inside the barn, which runs monthly woodfired pizza and music days. Cheese platters to sit in or outside are available, as are wines by the glass.  

Wine to try

The Pawn Wine Co

Best enjoyed: For me, pinot noir is best served at between 14–16 degrees in pinot noir glasses, which really do deliver those subtle pinot characters, particularly the aromatics. Otherwise, a good all-rounder like a RIEDEL magnum works well. But let's face it, it’ll still be enjoyable in a tumbler!

RRP $60 | Drink to 2030 | Paramoor | Shop this wine