Introduction
Lerida Estate
Canberra and district held the WiNE, RoSES & aLL ThAT JaZZ FeSTiVal 4 to 5 November 2006. One of the Canberra wineries which opened its doors was Lerida Estate. The winery's claim to fame is a shed by Pritzker Prize winning architect, Glenn Murcutt.
The wine making process flows through the building with grapes arriving at the Northern end, and progressing through fermentation and barrel maturation to end up one or two years later as bottled wine to be enjoyed and purchased from the tasting room at the Southern end.
The tasting room and adjoining courtyard enjoy superb views over the often dry lake, and can also be used for small corporate functions such as board meetings and product launches. It can be combined with the barrel room to cater for larger events such as weddings.
Even the height of the building was determined by the requirements of the wine making process. The 6 metre roof allows us to use a French technique, pigeage, essential for the production of the finest Pinot Noir wines.
A row of large rainwater tanks guard the eastern face of the building, moderating the temperature, and providing the large quantities of water needed for the constant washing and cleaning in the wine making process.
From: "Winery, Lerida Estate, 2003
That sounds very calculated and clinical, but the building sits well between Lake George and the escarpment behind. The steel building could have looked like a factory (after all it is a wine factory) but the rows of water tanks on the outside and wooden wine barrels on the inside soften the effect.
There is an excellent view of the lake from the tasting room. For the festival there was menu. The Rabbit Pie with potato mash and salad went well with their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. While 2006 Late Harvest Pinot Gris was recommended with dessert, I had the Blueberry and Almond Tart with the 2006 Pinot Rose
The estate is located 45 km north east of Canberra, just off the main road to Sydney. The cellar door is open 10am to 5pm daily and the cafe 10am to 5pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Lerida Estate would like to add tourist accommodation, but need permission from the Yass Valley Council. I signed a petition at the Winery asking the council to approve this.
Other Wineries and Information
- Little Bridge Wines at Manning Clark House, 4 November 2006
- 41 Canberra Wineries
- Canberra Travels
- Some Books:
