Know your étiquette! Beechworth

Named after a town in northeast Victoria, this Geographical Indication (GI) is home to just 130-odd hectares of vineyards and has an outsize reputation for the quality of its wines. Beechworth struck gold - the coveted metal kind - in 1852 and discoveries ensued in Yackandandah, Nine Mile Creek, Stanley and Wooragee. That led to prosperity hand-in-hand with flourishing 19th-century vineyards.
Its modern fame, however, dates back to the 1980s, the decade that saw the founding of Giaconda by Rick Kinzbrunner - undoubtedly an Australian touchstone for Chardonnay. It seems like Beechworth's second golden age is upon us now, with relatively small producers producing head-turning and truly memorable wines. The likes of Sorrenberg, Castagna, @Savaterre and Fighting Gully Road be household names and plenty of newer names are already unmissable: Domenica, Traviarti, A. Rodda, Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown, Sentio, Granjoux and more. Add to that list Little Frances, which was established in 2012 by Erin Pooley. She began in California with a single high-altitude Semillon before expanding to Californian Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. And in 2020 - not a year famed for its expansive opportunities - Erin fulfilled a long-held dream to add Australian wines to her collection. I, for one, am glad she did.
Erin made a good point when I last spoke to her, saying she didn’t think Beechworth had a style, as such. What it has is thoroughly auspicious conditions for exciting wines—and a wide range thereof.
To dig into Beechworth, I take a look at Erin's 2023 Chardonnay, which can be had for about AU$45.

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