Vineyard
Viticulture and wine making have been taught at Dookie since 1883, when Mr Giovanni Battista Ferderli, known as Tita, was appointed the campus's first wine maker. At the time the Dookie hills were a famous wine producing area. In the 1880s the Dookie hills produced a quarter of Australia's total vintage and included Australia's largest winery, Chateau Dookie (which had extensive vineyards, winery and a distillery). By 1910 the vine pest Phylloxera and depression had forced the closure of all the vineyards and crops have dominated the Dookie landscape ever since.
Dookie Campus played an important role during each period: pioneering wine grape varieties in the district since the 1870s, and contributing to vineyard and wine making techniques and research in the modern era.
The 22 hectare vineyard is located on the southern slopes of Mount Major. It is a mature vineyard with the majority of the plantings over 20 years old. The vineyard is comprised of Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz grapes, which are sold to commercial wineries and a small quantity is used in the Campus' own winery.
Information on the Wine Technology and Viticulture courses available can be obtained by contacting the Melbourne School of Land and Environment - Dookie Campus on (03) 5833 9200, visit www.wine.unimelb.edu.au or contact us online.
Dookie Campus Vineyard
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