Bianchet winery gets new life

By Dion Teasdale
BIANCHET Winery, one of the oldest vineyards and wineries in the Yarra Valley is now under new management.
Winemaker Jeff Wright, who has been making wine in the Yarra Valley for the past six years, has stepped in as the new manager and is promising to revitalise the popular food and wine destination.
“Bianchet is one of the oldest wine producers in the Yarra Valley and it has a very long tradition of creating excellent wines and complementing them with great food,” Mr Wright said.
“The winery has a strong following but over recent years it has become a bit of a sleeping giant. We’re here to let people know there’s new life in the place.”
Mr Wright said Bianchet has some of the oldest vines in the Yarra Valley that have produced high quality wines over the past three decades.
“The vines here were planted back in 1975 and the winery has a strong history and a good track record of producing great wines,” he said.
“We will be working to make them a bit more precise and help strengthen their basic characteristics, and bring them back into the public eye.”
Mr Wright said the winery’s popular cafe and restaurant will remain under the helm of chef Robert Leybourne with new exciting dishes and a revamped wine list added.
“The new wine list features Bianchet’s own wines, plus wines from small producers of the Yarra Valley and some interesting labels from beyond,” he said.
The food in the cafe and restaurant is a fusion of Mediterranean, Italian and Asian influences, Mr Wright said.
“It is really modern Australian food that draws on Asian and Mediterranean flavours. The menu features wonderful seafood dishes as well as homemade pasta dishes, and classic dishes such as steaks and chicken meals,” he said.
The cafe is open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and Friday and Saturday nights for dinner. The cellar door will also open from 11am to 6pm Wednesday to Sunday. For bookings please phone 9739 1779.