An Australian wine region located in the North East Victoria Zone of VICTORIA. It’s situated in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range about 165 miles northeast of Melbourne around the town of Myrtleford. Vineyards in this area were planted in the 1850s and 1860s, and the local wine industry prospered until the 1890s. That’s when the area was hit with a double whammy—a nationwide depression and the appearance of PHYLLOXERA. The Alpine Valleys region began its revival in the 1980s, and it now has eight wineries and over 1,250 acres of vineyards. The two main winegrowing areas are Ovens Valley and the Kiewa River Valley. The high growing areas have warm days and cool nights, though spring and autumn frosts are a concern. The main varieties planted here are CHARDONNAY, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT, PINOT NOIR, and Shiraz (SYRAH). Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used for both SPARKLING WINES and STILL WINES.