In 2010, Travis Clydesdale - Nagambie born and bred - returned "home" to Mitchelton. For as long as Travis can remember, his family has worked for Mitchelton. His father Mark, Mitchelton’s cellar manager, has worked at the winery on and off for 28 years and his brother completed an apprenticeship in the winery restaurant. His childhood was spent amongst the Mitchelton vines and his previous Mitchelton work experience included holiday jobs working in the winery.
Travis and John Beresford as winemaker and viticulturist continue the Mitchelton tradition of teamwork in crafting the very best of premium Victorian wines. As we celebrate more than 40 years since our official opening, we remain committed to producing superb regional wines from the varieties that do best here: Shiraz, Riesling & other Rhone varieties such as Marsanne. Find out more about our wines.
The Beginning
In 1967 Melbourne entrepreneur Ross Shelmerdine commissioned wine industry stalwart Colin Preece to find the best site for premium wine grape growing anywhere in south eastern Australia. Preece chose an old grazing estate, then known as Blackwood Park, in the Nagambie district in central Victoria for its climate, soil and proximity to the waterways.
The site's history stretches back to 1836, when the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell crossed the river on his 900 kilometre journey from Sydney to Melbourne. The riverside town was to have been called Mitchellstown.
Mitchelton’s Legendary Tower
Ross Shelmerdine called his fledgling winery Mitchelton, a derivation of Mitchellstown and the vineyard's first sod was turned in 1969. Don Lewis joined Preece for the fledgling winery's first vintage in 1973, and assumed the winemaker's mantle when Preece retired in 1974. That same year, Mitchelton's winery and spectacular cellar door complex, designed by renowned Australian architect Ted Ashton and complete with 55 metre tower, was officially opened. Drop in and visit us.
Highly Awarded
Mitchelton has developed a reputation for consistently high quality table wines. The first trophy won in 1978, was for a Riesling, a variety Mitchelton is well respected for. In 2007, Mitchelton’s Blackwood Park Riesling celebrated 33 vintages. Mitchelton’s Shiraz wines have garnered great accolades. In a 1991 stunning double, Mitchelton won the Jimmy Watson Trophy for best dry one year old red for its 1990 Mitchelton Print Shiraz as well as winning Vineyard of the Year.
Mitchelton won its first export award in 1986 and now offers its wine in 18 markets outside Australia including the UK, Europe, USA, Asia and South America.
The evolution of Mitchelton’s focus in the vineyard continues apace. Joining the Petaluma Group of wineries in 1994 and then the Lion Wine portfolio, Mitchelton’s wines continue to go from strength to strength. The investment in quality winemaking and viticulture practices that Mitchelton has always employed has seen the development of a strong mentoring culture which has woven a deep thread of Mitchelton’s ‘home grown’ philosophy throughout the team.
In 2004, following 30 years of successful winemaking and leadership of the Mitchelton team, Don Lewis made the decision to pursue other challenges. Toby Barlow and John Beresford, as winemaker and viticulturist, continued to shape Mitchelton’s focus on working with the estate, the Rhone varieties and crafting Victorian shiraz. In 2007, Mitchelton’s assistant winemaker Ben Haines, after working with Toby and John for several vintages stepped into the role of Winemaker for Mitchelton. Travis Clydesdale and John Beresford as winemaker and viticulturist continue the Mitchelton tradition of teamwork in crafting the very best of premium Victorian wines.