Fighting Gully Road is a truly unique destination, offering sweeping vineyard and valley views and an intimate chance to experience one of Beechworth’s most picturesque escarpments. The vineyard is approximately 5km south of the township in Fighting Gully Road. Perched at 550 metres, the vineyard site captures the cool-climate elegance and mineral intensity that define the region.

Fighting Gully Road was founded by Mark Walpole, one of the pioneers of Beechworth viticulture. After decades of vineyard development and winemaking in the region, Mark established Fighting Gully Road with the first vines planted in 1997. The winery’s focus is on alternative Italian varieties that speak clearly of Beechworth’s high-altitude terroir – notably sangiovese, tempranillo and verdicchio. These varieties respond beautifully to the vineyard’s Ordovician mudstone soils and elevation, yielding wines of tension, savoury detail and age-worth structure. Alongside them, chardonnay remains central to the portfolio – crafted with precision and held in high regard among peers for its balance and site expression.

Each year, Fighting Gully Road produces approximately a dozen wines across its portfolio. The Black Label wines – drawn from the most distinctive parcels and vintages – are held back before release to allow for extended bottle age. This ensures that when they reach you, they are already showing balance and complexity, while still offering excellent cellaring potential. It’s the winery’s way of respecting both the patience of the vineyard and the experience of the drinker.

Over the years, Fighting Gully Road has accumulated an impressive array of accolades, including being awarded a Top Five-Star Winery rating in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion, Halliday Viticulturist of the Year in 2024, and the Wine to Watch Trophy at the 2024 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. These awards attest to Walpole’s pioneering role in Beechworth viticulture, and his pursuit of wines that are distinctive, textural and true to place.

Visitors can book an appointment to explore one of the region’s most distinctive sites, where tastings are guided by Walpole, who shares rare insights into the soils, elevation, and philosophy behind his wines. Each visit is personal, unhurried, and deeply connected to the land – an authentic experience of Beechworth’s cool-climate terroir.