Ours is a journey of interconnection, a winding road, over the creek, up through the stringy bark forest and onto the freedom of an open clearing.

Small parcels of fruit grow here, with healthy soil, clear air, brilliant sunshine and a natural approach, rewarding us with exquisite fruit. With her hands and a meticulous manner Fiona creates Yarrh Wines - Running Water.

Established in 1997, Yarrh Wines is located 45 minutes from Canberra and 10 minutes from the rural village of Murrumbateman, in the heart of the Canberra District.  All wines are made from our own vineyard and bottled on site, in our beautiful rammed earth and straw bale winery, nestled into a hill and providing spectacular panoramic views of the vineyard and the Yass River Valley.

We make a range of red and white wines that are authentic expressions of our vineyard, their variety and their vintage.  Sustainable practices such as composting, mulching and limiting the use of artificial inputs creates wines of great character.

Critical acclaim (4.5 star winery, James Halliday, 2016) is important, but so is the joy we are able to bring to our everyday customers. 

About the Makers 

Fiona Wholohan - Winemaker

Our quietly spoken winemaker, Fiona Wholohan, crafts her wines with a gentle hand, a feminine touch.  Trained at Charles Sturt University, Fiona was making wines at Yarrh before she finished - it's been 19 vintages now.

"My wine making philosophy is simple - let the grapes speak for themselves.  Carefully nurture them through the wine making process to allow them to express their vintage, their location, their variety.  This means I spend as much time in the vineyard with my husband and vineyard manager Neil as I do in the winery.  I love being in the vineyard, and on a crisp, bright winters day, Yarrh is a magical place.

I see wine as a pinnacle of civilisation, and a fundamental part of life.  What a privilege to be a winemaker."

Neil McGregor - Land & Farming

Neil McGregor, grandson of a dairy farmer, son of a geophysicist father and a gourmet mother, became a grape grower after a life in Information Technology.

“Farming, the natural world and a love of food and wine was in my blood.  We learned viticulture as we planted our first blocks here at Yarrh.  Excellent advisors, a willingness to listen and a get on with it attitude helps!  It becomes a little more complex when you move away from conventional methods and into the natural, regenerative world.

Great wines start in the vineyard, and healthy ferments begin with healthy soils, vines and fruit.  If you can balance the need to harvest a quality crop with the need to maintain a healthy ecosystem on your farm, I think the job is done.  Sharing the results with fellow gourmands is the icing on the cake!”