Ganymede Spotlight: Trentham Estate Wines

From planting vines in a traditional fruit and vegetable growing area, to award winning wines.

The Murphy family can trace its origins in the region to 1909 when the Murphy family migrated from Ireland and were part of the settlers that established vineyards in Merbein near Mildura.  In the 1930s Trentham Estate was part of a large sheep station, Trentham Cliffs.  After WW2, the riverfront areas around Mildura were developed in horticulture properties and Trentham Cliffs was settled, the first shiraz vines were planted in 1952 and are the oldest on the estate now.  Jack & Moya Murphy moved to Trentham Cliffs in the 1960s, first growing citrus fruits, vegetables and grapes for fortified wines.  In 1984, the first vintage of grapes produced six tonnes.  The Trentham Estate Winery, Cellar Door and Restaurant was established in 1988 by two of Jack & Moya’s sons, Anthony and Patrick (though several decades after the first Murphy immigration the Irish names remain).  The vineyards now cover 45 hectares and produce 5,000 tonnes each vintage.  The Trentham range also produces wines grown in Tasmania and the Coonawarra and Heathcote regions.

Any online search of Trentham Cliffs will reveal the Trentham Estate Winery and Restaurant at the forefront of things to see and do.  The winery is perched on the banks of the might Murray River that is the border between New South Wales and Victoria and its waters feed the loam over limestone soils of the area.  This was the attraction for farmers in the early years, for the Murphy family it was the perfect formula for growing grapes for wines.  And so it has proved. It has grown from the initial 30-tonne crush to a minimal but state-of-the-art facility. The winery is able to perform various winemaking styles, therefore, providing us a diverse range of Trentham Estate wines. The grapes are picked at optimum ripeness to produce the perfect flavour, staying true to their winemaking philosophy, which is to produce high-quality varietal wines, with an emphasis on full fruit flavour and palatability.

Whilst far from the largest winery, or even family winery, in Australia, Trentham Estate produces a broad range of award-winning wines.  Of course, you can find the staples of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz amongst others.  You will be very happy with what you find, I might add.  However, the portfolio extends to Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris, Moscato, Sangiovese, Vermentino, Nero D’Avola, Nebbiolo and Frizzante Maestri.  Not your normal line up for an Aussie winery!  All have won awards at wine shows, several are highly rated in the Halliday Wine Companion.  In fortifieds, you can find award winning Taminga, Muscat, Old Tawny and VP Shiraz ports. 

There is a long list to try, fortunately there is an award-winning restaurant on site to allow you to taste more of the range with a menu inspired by local produce of the region.

The Murphy family is still at the forefront of all activities in the business, Anthony and Patrick still run the winemaking and management whilst marketing is in the hands of the next generation.  Further, they are heavily invested in the region with a portion of proceeds from all sales of the River Retreat brand donated to support the local wetlands and ecosystem. 

Have a taste of some of Trentham Estates’ wines right here in Hong Kong. Take a look at the available bottles we have on-hand (some of which are even vegan friendly). – Visit our Trentham Estate collection.