Squitchy Lane Vineyard

Nestled in a secluded corner of the Yarra Valley, Squitchy Lane is a boutique wine producer crafting exquisite, artisanal wines from our six hectares of mature vines. Squitchy Lane was founded in 1996 by noted Melbourne businessman and former Carlton Captain, Mike Fitzpatrick. Mike’s interest in wine was first kindled when he was studying at Oxford in the 1970s. His future father-in-law, himself an Oxford Don provided Mike’s introduction to wine and the close proximity to France allowed further exploration. The great wines of Europe proved to be a revelation. Mike returned to Australia with his future wife Helen on his arm and the idea of a winery in the back of his mind. However, a successful football career with Carlton was beckoning and as Captain, he guided the football club to two premierships. In the nineties, the search for a vineyard began. With the time Mike had spent in Melbourne, the Yarra Valley had seemed the logical area to establish a boutique winery. Situated in a corner of the Yarra Valley, a stone’s throw from Coldstream Hills and Yarra Yering, was the Log Creek Vineyard. Planted in 1982, the six hectares of mature vines had been established as a grower vineyard, with fruit sold to other producers. Naturally, Mike named the vineyard Squitchy Lane recalling where he had lived in Oxford, where he first began his foray into wine. There was much to accomplish before the first wines could be released. The vineyard was planted to traditional Yarra Valley varieties – cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, merlot and cabernet franc. Although the vineyard was well established it had been created with a focus on quantity. To improve the quality of the vineyard Mike set about converting the vineyard trellis system and instigated a vine improvement program. Mike realised that the lessons learned on the football field were every bit as important in wine production – discipline, resilience, attention to detail and teamwork.