About McKellar Ridge
McKellar Ridge is a 5-star boutique winery producing award-winning handcrafted wines. Carefully nurtured from grape to glass, our wines exhibit the unique characteristics of the Canberra cool-climate region:
fresh fruit flavours, distinctive spiciness, crisp acidity.
McKellar Ridge Wines is owned and operated by John and Marina Sekoranja. The winery was established in 2005 by Brian and Janet Johnston and quickly became highly regarded in the Canberra region. Brian continues to provide expert assistance as winemaking consultant during vintage. McKellar Ridge was rated as a 5-Star winery by James Halliday in August 2017.
John & Marina
John and Marina have always shared a passion for wine. However, it was while visiting relatives in Slovenia that John had a life-changing epiphany. While admiring the family vineyard, John’s father lamented how he was forced to abandon the business due to the outbreak of World War II.
At that moment John realised his destiny:
to re-establish the family tradition of wine production.
In 2016 John and Marina embarked on turning the dream into reality. On the day John retired from corporate life, the couple coincidentally met the founders of McKellar Ridge, Brian and Janet Johnston, marking the start of a significant friendship. Before long Marina stepped back from her own profession as a nutrition and dietetic clinician so the pair could assist in making the 2017 vintage. John and Marina bought the business in June 2017, and they are dedicated to elevating the award-winning winery to ever greater heights.
Our Wines
Our wines are made from low yielding mature vines, carefully chosen from premium quality vineyards and handpicked to select the best fruit at optimal ripeness.
The white wines are lightly pressed and cool-fermented in stainless steel vats, the reds open-fermented with gentle hand plunging and basket pressing then transferred to quality French Oak barrels.
Our philosophy is simple: let the grapes tell their story.
As winemakers, our role is to apply best practice standards with minimal intervention. This ensures wines maintain varietal integrity and good aging structure. The quality of McKellar Ridge wines is reflected in the multiple medals awarded and consistently high-scoring reviews.
Cherie d’Amour
Our famous “sweet heart” wine, Cherie d Amour has wonderfully fruity off-dry finish. The wine is made from the same grapes as our traditional sauvignon blanc, however, fermentation was halted early to create the off -dry style. It has a rich middle palate which partners perfectly with spicy Asian dishes.
Bronze medal 2016 NSW Small Winemakers Show
Rosé
Our Rose is made in the light French style, dry with a fruity middle palate and spicy finish. A blend of merlot and sometimes shiraz grapes creates a crisp, refreshing style of Rosé with an intense plummy middle palate and a light, spicy finish. Deliciously refreshing for long summer days.
Silver Medal 2016 Canberra and Region Wine Show
Pinot Noir
Hand-picked from two small vineyards near Murrumbateman, open-fermented in small batches, hand-plunged, matured in French oak for 9 months. Bright, light crimson, it has very attractive juicy red cherry and strawberry fruit, good balance and good length. A consistently high scoring wine.
Silver medal, Canberra and Region Wine Show.
Pinot Noir – Tumbarumba (2017)
An elegant and earthy Pinot using exceptional fruit from Mount Tumbarumba vineyard. 9 months in French oak, a mix of old and new with attention to the toasting strengths. The alluring aromatics are full of forest spice, cherry and toffee apple; however, it is the exceptional length that catches you by surprise.
94 Points, James Halliday Wine Companion 2019 (Top Silver, Highly Recommended)
Sauvignon Blanc
McKellar Ridge Sauvignon Blanc is a traditional Australian dry style of sauvignon blanc exhibiting fine floral notes, with ripe fruit salad on the middle palate balanced with cool climate citrus and tangy flavours to ensure it finishes refreshingly crisp and dry.
Gold Medal 2016 Canberra and Region Wine Show
Riesling
Our Riesling is made in the dry but floral Alsace style. The fruit is hand-picked, destemmed and basket pressed before fermentation in stainless steel vats. The wine has good varietal expression, floral, fresh and crisp on the palate with good citrus intensity and length.
Trophy, NSW Small Wine Makers Show 2015
Shiraz Viognier
Made with high quality French oak, this wine is based on the northern Rhone style, with 4% Viognier co-fermented with Shiraz. It is full of dark cherry and raspberry flavours, complex oak flavours and fine tannins. It has real depth and intensity. This is our most awarded wine.
95 Point James Halliday Wine Companion 2018
Shiraz
Hand-picked from a single vineyard on the winery block, basket-pressed, matured for 9 months in French oak barrels. This wine is deep crimson, a medium to full-bodied shiraz with all the hallmarks of cool-climate shiraz, black cherry, licorice and pepper.
Silver, 2017 Australian National Single Vineyard Wine Show
Merlot Cabernet
This Saint Emilion blend has a fragrant nose of red berries and hints of vanillin oak. The palate is deep, exhibiting cherry flavours, a deep back palate and a long spicy finish. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. This wine will age well, cellar to 2025.
Silver 2016 Canberra and Region Wine Show
Trio
Made as a true Bordeaux blend with the three major Bordeaux grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon is dominant providing deep fruit flavours of blackberry and black currant, long dry tannins, complimented by the plum and cherry flavours of the Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
92 Points James Halliday Wine Companion 2018
Sparkling Red
Exhibits an attractive red berry fruit aroma, and fills the mouth with dark cherry flavours. The mousse is fine and the light tannins provide an attractive crisp and long finish to this sparkling wine which was produced in the Méthode Traditionale.
A great celebration wine.