Our story.

Mount Moriac Wines is a family-first wine business

With a load of family members working in wine around the country, Mount Moriac Wines is really just an an extension of a family that has been deeply entrenched in the world of wine for generations. Led by Damon O’Brien whose lifetime in wine began as 16 year old delivery boy ferrying cases of Chateauneuf de Pape around the city streets on behalf of Melbourne’s best wine store. Since that auspicious beginning Damon has built brands in the premium wine regions of Margaret River and the Clare Valley and is finally back in his home state where the Surf Coast runs through his veins. Lucky to be part of a huge clan, Damon is ably assisted by two brothers John and Piers and assorted other family members, our indefatigable Vineyard Manager Neville Ormesher and Winemaker Alex Byrne.

Our philosophy is very simple; bring you the best Geelong wine possible from our outstanding vineyard

To do that we’ve engaged the unique skill set of our family, are nurturing our site, building our community and ensuring that quality runs through everything we do in our desire to bring you great wine.

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Our winemaker

Alex Byrne joined Mount Moriac Wines in 2024. Inspired by the great wines of Burgundy and his cool-climate experiences in Geelong and Ballarat, it was obvious to us that his winemaking philosophy and experience was tailor-made for working with the fruit from our low yielding, intense and complex site. After studying Wine Science at Deakin and Charles Sturt universities, Alex spent more than two decades honing his cool climate winemaking across Australia and France. A local who lives in Jan Juc, a formative experience working in Gevrey Chambertin in Burgundy was followed by roles at Lethbridge and then building his own eponymous brand.

Alex’s passion and drive to understand and unlock the subtle nuances of each of the 11 individual blocks holds the key to fulfilling the promise of our untapped vineyard.

Our terroir

45 acres, 11 blocks, 6 varietals, 9 clones, 3 soil types. It’s complex and captivating and the diversity from one end of the horseshoe shaped vineyard to the other is remarkable. It’s a low yielding site mostly made up of black cracking clay allied to mature vines which produces fewer bunches of intense fruit that packs power and complexity.

Oh and we love that there are wonderful Superb Fairywrens and Willy Wagtails and lots of other birds, animals and insects in our ecosystem.

Our unique geography

Position

Located 20 kms to the south-west of Geelong and tucked up close to the Otways, Mount Moriac is actually an ancient volcano formed several million years ago and standing at 270 metres above sea level. Its prominence in the landscape meant that it became a significant navigational landmark for ships entering Port Phillip Bay during the 1800s and 1900s. Our vineyard is set on the southern slopes of the mountain and we are the highest vineyard in the Geelong region, with the extra elevation and more temperate coastal conditions opening up some cooler and longer ripening periods; the perfect conditions for picking ripe grapes that are at the heart of fine wine.

Weather

Each season from our elevated vineyard we watch ever-changing Southern Ocean weather racing from the south-west up the neighbouring Otway Ranges. Curiously, almost every day the weather splits pretty much where the ancient soils of our vineyard sit. To the south, storm clouds and rain often hug the Otways and to the north sit the puffy white cotton wool clouds and blue skies of the parched grassy Western Victoria Plains. Generally that means our annual rainfall is far lower than other areas of the Geelong wine region, and is similar to the Moorabool Valley wineries also situated on the western side of Geelong.

Soils

Our 11 individual blocks are predominantly made up of black cracking clay soils with some smaller sections of sandy loam. The nature of these soils – which require careful management – combined with the maturity of our vineyard means that our vines are deeper-rooted, producing grapes with more consistent ripeness and complexity. In addition they retain vibrant acidity and develop subtle, nuanced flavor profiles. This is especially valuable for wines aiming for elegance and longevity. What might seem like a growing challenge – fewer bunches ripening in the tougher soil conditions – is in fact an important key to cultivating intense, cellar-worthy wines. This soil structure and conditions are ideal for growing premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

You can see the concentration in the wines, you can see the complexity in them and as the vineyard continues to get more love, we’ll see the fruit developing even more complexity, even more intensity and giving us the ability to just let that fruit express itself and make these truly beautiful wines.

- Alex Byrne, Mount Moriac Winemaker