Latest news with #KingValley
ABC News
25-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
How King Valley became Australia's home of Italian wine varieties
A roll call of Tuscan grape varieties are finding new expression half a world away from their Italian birthplace. As are many of the pioneers who brought varieties including prosecco, pinot grigio, nebbiolo, sangiovese, fiano and dolcetto to Victoria's King Valley, one of Australia's most exciting, emerging wine regions. "A lot of northern Italian grape varieties have been a real shining light in the Australian wine industry," said Fred Pizzini, whose family has played a trailblazing role in the region's development. Many Australian wineries have been doing it tough. There has been a glut of traditional French grape varieties such as shiraz and chardonnay. Not so in the King Valley, where family-owned vineyards and their distinctive Italian grape varieties and wines have been growing in popularity. The valley's high altitude, mountain soil and climate are conducive to producing quality wines. Fred Pizzini's son, Joel, who is the company's principal winemaker, said it made for earthy, savoury, more interesting versions of styles. The Pizzini family is one of about a dozen winemaking families of Italian descent in the valley, all of them migrant success stories. Fred's father, Arnie, and his three brothers settled in the valley in the 1950s. "When we first bought the farm up here, the first thing he did was plant a vineyard of 1 acre," Fred said. "And then he built his house." The Politini family from Sicily and the Corsini family from Tuscany also arrived in the 1950s and planted vineyards to make wine for their own use. Their main crop was tobacco, which flourished on the rich river flats. When the industry rapidly declined in the late 1970s, the valley's farmers shifted to grape growing. Most took a 10-year contract with prominent wine maker Brown Brothers, but many had already seen the potential of growing Italian grape varieties. For the Corsinis, whose cellar door is a majestic stone villa, a family wedding in 1992 launched them into commercial winemaking. Peter's father Gino followed a centuries-old family winemaking method that used no preservatives. Their vegan-friendly, non-allergenic wine is made from a range of Italian grape varieties including fiano, sangiovese and dolcetto. Joel Pizzini said visitors to their part of north-east Victoria, especially Italians, were impressed by the valley's strong Italian culture. "It's beautiful tasting lots of different [Italian] varieties, not just different versions of shiraz and cabernet." Sam Politini, 90, is among only a few surviving migrant winemaker pioneers. He witnessed fierce fighting between the Germans and Allied Forces in 1943. In 1956, aged 21, he followed his brother to Australia for a better life. On most days, his fine Italian accordion tunes resonate across the family's picturesque vineyard, where his grandson Jacques Simian is the third generation to take up winemaking. Mr Politini said he was delighted to see the emergence of King Valley wines. "It's really good to work with something that shows your heritage, something that shows where you're from and you can promote it and give it to others," Jacques Simian said. Reuben Corsini and his cousin Leticia are also third-generation farmers. Their career choice has helped revitalise the Valley and cater to a growing tourist trade. "It's an absolute honour to be able to carry that [tradition] on," Linda Newton (nee Corsini) said. "Our parents loved it; were passionate about it, and every day you walk into cellar door you've got that connection with them. The taste of Italy extends beyond wine. Wineries such as the Pizzini's hold cooking classes and festivals that celebrate wine, cuisine and culture. Italian grape varieties dominate the landscape, including the Pizzini family's vineyards that line the valley's slopes. Some date back to Roman times, and most can endure tough climatic conditions better than traditional French varieties. "As we get more high-intensity heatwaves, high-intensity storm and rainfall events, they're becoming really beneficial for a viticulture adaptation perspective," Fred Pizzini said. "There's lots of benefits other than just the commercial side of making delicious wines. "King Valley is an international name today, which is pretty special." Watch ABC TV's Landline at 12:30pm AEST on Sunday or stream anytime on ABC iview.
ABC News
25-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
A Taste of Italy: Celebrating the Italian heritage of King Valley wines
The rich Italian heritage of the King Valley region is helping produce fine wines that hold their own on the world stage.
SBS Australia
14-05-2025
- SBS Australia
A sacred Bpangerang women's site has been vandalised
A sacred Aboriginal site in north-east Victoria has been defaced with spray paint, prompting outrage and sadness from Traditional Custodians and local community advocates. The site, located at Paradise Falls in the King Valley — a culturally significant women's place for the Bpangerang people — was vandalised over the weekend. Graffiti was discovered on rocks within the sacred area, sparking calls for accountability and greater protection of Aboriginal heritage sites. The advocacy group Always Was, Always Will Be Bpangerang Country shared images of the damage on social media, condemning the act and urging those responsible to return and clean the site. 'This is a place of deep spiritual importance, and what's happened here is not just disrespectful — it's a violation of culture,' the group wrote. 'We're calling on the individuals who did this to come forward and take responsibility.' Paradise Falls is located around 305 kilometres from Melbourne. The waterfall, which drops over a layered rock formation, has long been a place of connection and ceremony for Bpangerang women. Authorities were notified of the incident by Parks Victoria. Victoria Police have confirmed they are investigating and have appealed for public assistance. 'The affected rock face is known to hold cultural value to local Indigenous communities,' a police spokesperson said. 'At this stage, there is no indication the act was targeted, but inquiries are ongoing.' Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Sacred Aboriginal site defaced with graffiti - sparking a manhunt for the 'entitled' vandals in outback town
A sacred Indigenous site symbolic of a special meeting place for women has been defaced, sparking a manhunt in Victoria's King Valley. The rock face is part of a 31metre-high waterfall at Paradise Falls, located about 300km northeast of Melbourne in Victoria's alpine region. Police were alerted to the incident on Monday and have launched an investigation. Photos of the graffiti were shared by advocacy group Always Was, Always Will Be, Bpangerang Country alongside a strongly-worded statement. 'Some absolutely thoughtless, knuckle-dragging, entitled grubs decided Paradise Falls in the King Valley was the appropriate place to leave their amateur and unremarkable tag,' the post read. 'Paradise Falls is a sacred women's place and much loved by all that visit. If you know who this tag belongs to, let them know they need to return and clean up their mess. 'They've got some nasty, nasty juju coming their way for this disrespectful vandalism. Ancestors know who they are, ain't no hiding from what's coming.' The group's Facebook page states that it campaigns for 'Bpangerang tribal lands [to be] re-instated on the Indigenous Map of Australia and corrected signage throughout North East Victorian National Parks.' The post was met with severe backlash. 'Abhorrent behavior destructive disrespectful, this scared place has been here for thousands of years the people who desecrated it will be gone in a whisper of time,' one person wrote. 'This makes me so so angry. Why? Why would someone do this? Need to do more than just clean it up. Absolutely disrespectful' another said. Victoria Police confirmed the investigation is ongoing in a statement. 'At this stage of the investigation, it is not believed that the incident is targeted,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. Paradise Falls is a popular tourist spot, and is part of the Falls Walking Track, a 7km return trip that leads hikers up to McMillan's Track Lookout. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Always Was, Always Will Be, Bpangerang Country for further comment.
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- News.com.au
Sacred Aboriginal rocks in Victoria's alpine region have been graffitied by vandals
Vandals have graffitied sacred Aboriginal rocks at Paradise Falls in Victoria's Alpine region over the weekend. Local Aboriginal advocacy group Always Was, Always Will Be Bpangerang Country shared an image of the vandalism to their social media page asking for the offenders to return and remove the 'disrespectful vandalism.' 'Some absolutely thoughtless, knuckledragging, entitled grubs decided Paradise Falls in the King Valley was the appropriate place to leave their amateur and unremarkable tag,' a spokesman said on their Facebook page. 'Paradise Falls is a sacred women's place and much loved by all that visit. 'If you know who this tag belongs to let them know they need to return and clean up their mess.' Paradise Falls is a 31m waterfall that pours over a conglomerate rock formation located about 305km northeast of Melbourne in Victoria's King Valley. Police were notified about the graffiti at the Chestnut National Park by Parks Victoria on Monday and are now investigating. 'It is believed the graffiti is on a rock face which is of cultural significance to Indigenous Australian people,' a police spokesman said. 'At this stage of the investigation, it is not believed that the incident is targeted.'
