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ST PETER'S VINEYARD
27-29 CUBITT STREET GREAT WESTERN, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory
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Statement of Significance

St Peter's vineyard was the first vineyard and winery in Great Western. It was established by Jean Pierre and Anne Marie Trouette in 1863. The only remaining obvious reminders of the vineyard orchard and homestead are the gateway and flanking English Elm trees marking the entrance to the property.

The site is of historical significance to Great Western. It indicates the early settlement of land in the area for vineyard purposes. It is of importance for its potential to provide information that contributes toa greater understanding of the history of the settlement of the district, and has a strong presumption of archaeological research potential. Further higher research and archaeological investigation is recommended.

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    • History

      ST PETER'S VINEYARD - History

      Extracted from 'Grapes & Gold', by Arthur Kuehne.

      Jean Pierre Trouette was born in 1833 and came from a family of winemakers in the French town of Estaps.In 1856 Marie Louise Blampied and Pierre married in Beechworth and in 1858 moved to Great Western where Pierre and Emile Blampied engaged in mining. In 1863, having obtained freehold of property, Jean Pierre Tourette planted the first vines. He began with planting half an acre of vines and named the vineyard, St Peter's. By 1867 the estate carried 50,000 vines and 2000 fruit trees including cherries, plums, quinces and also some plums and olives and chestnuts.

      They achieved the first recognition for their wines in 1867 when a coach driver, after sampling the wine, entered the wine in the Ballarat National Agricultural Show where it won a gold medal.

      The vineyard was taken over by his son Nicholas but tragedy struck three months later when a worker was sent to clean the underground wine vat. He was overcome by fumes and another worker attempted to rescue him but he fell from the rope. Nicholas Trouette went into the tank secured the rope but was overcome by fumes. His sister Marie went to assist but also had to be rescued. Nicholas was unable to be revived.

      Following the death of Nicholas and a number of crop failures and bad seasons, St Peter's was sold in 1897 to an english family named Merton. The vineyards, orchards, winery and the gracious old homestead of St Peter's are all long gone. Two English trees shade an old iron gate which once lead to the homestead.

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