The rich history of Mitchelton stretches back to 1836, when explorer Major Thomas Mitchell came across this place during a 900-kilometer journey from Sydney to Melbourne. Over a century later in 1969, the entrepreneurial Ross Shelmerdine planted his first crop of vines here, naming his new winery after the historic figure. The bottles which were produced, with a focus on Riesling and Shiraz, were soon enjoyed by wine lovers around Australia and were also highly awarded on the world stage. In 1991, Mitchelton won both the Jimmy Watson Trophy for best dry one year old red (the 1990 Print Shiraz) as well as Vineyard of the Year. As well as its wines, restaurant and Ministry of Chocolate café, Mitchelton also became known as a destination for outdoor concerts in a spectacular setting ‘on the green’. Over the years thousands of audience members have enjoyed music from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Bryan Adams and many others. The Ryan family purchased Mitchelton in 2011, adding to the winery’s offering with the opening of a luxury boutique hotel in 2018.
MITCHELTON ARCHITECTURE
The plans for the winery, cellar door and tower were drawn by Robin Boyd CBE, one of the country’s most renowned architects. Following Boyd’s death in 1971, the equally admired Australian architect Ted Ashton completed the design. After Mitchelton opened in 1974, the 55-metre tower soon became a recognised icon of the Victorian winemaking landscape. More recently, Mitchelton continued its partnership with leading architects by engaging the practice of Hecker Guthrie to design a new cellar door and 54-room hotel. The impressive result borrows from the existing architecture’s modern lines, rustic textures and sculptural forms, making it a natural fit in both the built and natural environment.
