An increasingly important wine growing region, the King Valley encompasses the King River and is an area which displays varied terrain from river flats to mountain ridges & slopes. Due to these factors the region is unique and produces a range of wine styles from sparkling to fortified. At Wangaratta the King River joins the Ovens River, with the King Valley region running South through the Oxley Plains to Moyhu before it begins to enter many narrow valleys with steep hillsides developing in to the foot of the alps. Milawa is at the Northern end of the King Valley, which is 155 meters at its lowest point. At the Southern end you will find the Whitlands plateau, and at about 800 meters, this is one of Australia's highest wine growing areas.

The King Valley is very capable of producing high yeilds and excellent quality fruit due to its fertile country which ranges from very flat in the North to mountainous in the South. The climate also changes significantly from North to South with a progressive increase in rainfall in the southern areas. Soil characteristics in the region vary throughout the valley which also changes significantly with altitute. However, deep red clay loam soils with good drainage and high fertility ensures optimal growth is found at all sites.

Recent years have seen much experimental development with a vast array of rare wine varietals such as Saperavi, Sangiovese, Arneis, Petit Manseng and Tempranillo. These varieties have proven to perform extremely well in the King Valley displaying fresh and elegant characteristics. The King Valley is also an excellent site for the production of fine sparkling wine bases. 

Our Vineyards

Oxley   
The Oxley vineyard and Sam Miranda Cellar Door rests by the lovely creek bed of the King river which is fed by the melting winter snow that covers the Victorian High Plains from June to September. The site is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot and posseses rich soils and a cool climate allowing for long ripening periods which produces medium bodied wines that express the fresh and elegant characteristics that the region is renowned for.             

Myrrhee
In the spectacular Myrrhee Valley lies the Sam Miranda vineyard. At an altitude of over 350 metres above sea level, this has proven to be the perfect site to experiment with an array of unusual and rare wine varietals to cater for the adventurous wine lover. 

The Sam Miranda vineyard is a 120 hectare property which sits at the foothills of the beautiful Victorian Alps. With 12 hectares currently under vine, the site displays the perfect growing conditions for wines under the Sam Miranda & High Plains label. Planted on the site are Traminer, Merlot, Chardonnay , Pinot Noir and Tannat.

Along with those planted in our vineyards Sam Miranda produces wines made from fruit that has been carefully selected from vineyards throughout the King Valley such as;  Arneis, Barbera, Durif, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Prosecco. All of the varieties are 'single vineyard' only and are selected from better, higher altitude sites. Each wine is made from 100% King Valley fruit and has been handcrafted from the vine to the bottle.