Heathcote: The Heathcote wine region, nestled between the Goulburn Valley and Bendigo regions, is famous as a premium Shiraz producing area. Like many parts of central Victoria, it was largely used for sheep grazing, followed by gold mining, before wine production began. The first vines appeared in the 1860s, but it was not until the 1960s that the real wave of development occurred. Heathcote is recognised as a producer of extraordinary Shiraz wines, even rivalling those of the Rhone Valley from where the grape cuttings were originally sourced, and is home to winemakers who have achieved international fame for their representations of Australian Shiraz. However, other red wines of quality also have emerged, as well as whites such as Chardonnay and Viognier. Heathcote wines are perceived as exclusive, not only because of their extremely high quality, but because of the difficulty in obtaining them.