Nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Narkoojee Winery and Restaurant enjoys a beautiful setting boasting magnificent views of the vineyard and the Strzelecki Ranges. The winery is located in East Gippsland’s Glengarry, where the long and cool ripening period produces classic cool-climate wines.

The first vines were planted in 1980 on Harry Friend’s parents’ dairy farm and has since grown to thirteen hectares of vines on site. Chief winemaker, Axel Friend, shares his role with his father Harry, who established and developed the grape-growing and winemaking venture with his wife, Val. Today, the winery produces chardonnay, sparkling chardonnay and blends, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, sparkling reds, rosé and viognier.

Visitors to the cellar door can sample the latest releases through a wine flight or barrel tasting. Following this, they can enjoy a seasonal menu of modern cuisine at the adjoining restaurant, featuring local Gippsland produce paired with the winery’s award-winning wines.

The vineyard was established on deep alluvial soils with a mixture of clay, silt, sand and ironstone gravel. The vines are trained to a lyre trellis system, which increases sunlight penetration and air circulation, producing optimum-quality fruit.

Narkoojee is an award-winning winery with numerous accolades and awards, including the Michelin Trophy for a Reserve Chardonnay. James Halliday has described the wines as “consistently immaculate”, with two wines previously listed in his top 100 along with a five-red-star winery – a rating awarded to wineries that are considered outstanding and are regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.

The unique appeal of Narkoojee Winery is garnering an impressive reputation and drawing acclaim
from an array of wine critics and consumers, both in Australia and overseas.