COMPANY PROFILE

Melaleuca Grove Wines produces a range of premium cool climate wines from grapes grown by dedicated growers in the world renowned Yarra Valley and the adjacent Yea Valley regions of Victoria, Australia.

Melaleuca Grove Wines are made and distributed by Gumanan Pty Ltd, a small boutique winemaking company run by Jeff and Anne Wright who are dedicated to excellence in winemaking. Jeff and Anne both have backgrounds in biochemistry and in 1997, with a growing fascination with winemaking, Jeff completed a short course in Viticulture. This inspired him to enroll at Charles Sturt University for their well regarded B.App. Sci (winescience) course.

With ‘winery experience’ a requirement of the course, Jeff has worked alongside winemakers such as Sergio Carlei (Carlei Estate), Keith Salter (Bianchet Wines) and Martin Williams MW. (Metier Wines and Master Winemakers). This has given him valuable exposure to a range of fine winemaking styles and techniques, focusing on premium wine production.

1999 saw the first vintage of Melaleuca Grove Wines with the release of Chardonnay and Shiraz made at Yarra Valley Hills from grapes grown at Limestone in the Yea Valley. These were extremely well received and a wide variety of wines have been released since with the 2000 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon the most critically acclaimed so far.

In 2003 Jeff became a full time winemaker becoming a partner in Small Batch Winemakers, a contract winemaking facility in the Yarra Valley. Small Batch as the name implies services clients considered too small by the larger contracting facilities. This includes experimental parcels, unusual varieties and new plantings. This has given Jeff experience with Verduzzo, Traminer, Pinot gris and Marsanne as well as parcels from places as far afield as Loxton in South Australia, Swan Hill and the Mornington Peninsula.

Melaleuca Grove expanded its range at the same time and now includes Sauvignon blanc, Marsanne, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and a Cabernet Merlot blend.