Australian Winery: Lerida Vineyards

I had to drive between Sydney and Canberra, but I was scheduled to arrive too early so I popped into a vineyard on the way. Luckily, they were having their harvest celebration and the tastings were free. Lerida Vineyards is about 15 minutes north of Canberra nestled against the Cullerin Mountain. In the photo below what looks like huge cotton fields is actually their vineyard draped with netting to prevent birds from picking at the fruit.

Their tasting room is very nice with a full service bakery and coffee shop and it overlooks the awesome expanse of the great Canberra Plains.

The Chardonnays they offered were okay, if a bit on the sweet side. For their whites, their Viognier was actually the best- crisp and lightly sweet and best flavor.

The reds were unfortunately, unremarkable. They may be good for the Canberra region, or maybe I’ve been spoiled by Virginia wines, but the only one I really liked was the 2008 Cullerin Pinot Noir.

Aside from the spectacular view of the valley, the vineyard was going all out for their harvest celebration, and it was a wonderful event for their community. Pictured above is also a pumpkin patch with gigantic 5 foot pumpkins and a warning sign to watch out for poisonous snakes.