About Us
Welcome to Rahona Valley, the ultimate destination for lovers of sparkling wines in the breathtaking Mornington Peninsula region. Our story is one of passion and dedication to the art of crafting exceptional sparkling and cool climate wines, and we can’t wait to share our enthusiasm with you.
Precision
Methode traditionnelle sparkling wine is the most technically difficult of all wine to produce, requiring specialist knowledge, expertise and equipment. It is this investment that makes the difference in our wines.
Patience
Making premium sparkling and cool climate wines requires patience. All our sparkling wines are made using methode traditionnelle techniques and as such, take over 3 years to craft each bottle. But the wait is certainly worth it
Provenance
From our original home vineyard of a tiny 3 acres we have grown to sourcing from 5 premium vineyards the across the Peninsula. Each vineyard provides a unique terroir.
Our journey into wine
Our journey began when Toby and Dianne’s dream of owning a piece of the Mornington Peninsula became a reality in 2014. Serendipity led them to discover Rahona Valley, a hidden gem nestled in a tranquil valley in Red Hill South. Instantly captivated by the property, they decided to make it their own. At the time, Rahona Valley was one of the smallest commercial producers on the entire Mornington Peninsula.
With the vineyard now in their hands, Toby and Dianne embarked on an exciting adventure into the world of winemaking. Their initial foray evolved into a mission to craft exceptional sparkling wines using traditional methods, right here on the Peninsula.
In 2020, they took their commitment a step further by establishing the Australian Cuvee Centre, a state-of-the-art winery facility in Dromana dedicated to creating sparkling wines. This facility is not only used by Rahona but also serves as a hub for other wineries across the Mornington Peninsula and beyond.
Working alongside their talented team, including Natalie Fryar, our chief winemaker, and Alisdair Park, our senior winemaker, our goal is to produce wines of exceptional quality with a strong emphasis on provenance, precision, and patience.
Starting from those modest 3-acres, Rahona Valley has grown in reputation and production from vineyards located across the Mornington Peninsula. Today, Rahona Valley proudly boasts a 5-star rating from the Halliday Wine Companion, showcasing a diverse selection of over 10 sparkling wines and a complementary array of cool climate table wines including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Shiraz. Our focus remains firmly on the Mornington Peninsula, while also featuring a limited range made from the finest Tasmanian grapes.
At Rahona Valley, we invite you to join us on this extraordinary journey of wine exploration, where tradition and innovation unite to create remarkable wine experiences. Cheers to the art of sparkling wines and cool climate varietals – we can’t wait to share our love for the craft with you.
JOIN OUR WINE CLUB
For access to new releases, member discounts and special events
Our Passionate Team
Toby Pieters
OWNER & Managing director
Toby brings a lifetime of small business experience and entrepreneurship to the team having started his career in the ceramic tile family business which saw him become General Manager, before the age of 20. In 2014, Toby and his partner Dianne embarked on a new adventure in the wine world, purchasing Rahona Valley vineyard, on the Mornington Peninsula. It is here Toby fell in love with sparkling wine and now knows more than most winemakers about the subject. A quiet and generally shy man, until you get him talking about wine. Toby loves sharing his passion for wine with our winery visitors.
Dianne Gardiner
OWner, Director Marketing & Sales
Dianne is a businesswoman and entrepreneur. Having established her own market research business in 2007 at the start of the GFC, she rode out the storm and took the business from strength to strength over the next 13 years .
In 2014, Dianne and Toby embarked a new adventure into the wine world. While Dianne isn’t involved in the winemaking or vineyard management she loves wine and is custodian of our brand and marketing. Visit our cellar door and chat to Dianne about what makes Rahona…. Seriously. Good.
Natalie Fryar
Chief winemaker
Growing up in a wine region, Natalie completed school work experience with Hardys winery at age 14 and at 16 she did her very first vintage. Natalie has enjoyed a stellar career that has taken her all over the world from Great Western to Champagne and Tasmania. Known in the industry as “the Queen of Bubbles”, Natalie was for over 14 years the winemaker at Jansz Tasmania, helping to establish it as a leading Australian sparkling wine specialist. Today she has her own sparkling wine company Bellebonne, a gin company Abel Gin and consults to numerous wineries, including Pipers Brook Vineyard, who make sparkling wine under the Kreglinger, Pipers Brook and Ninth Island labels. In late 2018 Natalie became Rahona Valley’s sparkling wine consultant and in 2019 became the Chief winemaker.
Alisdair Park
Senior winemaker
Developing a passion for wine while working in the events industry in Sydney, Alisdair opted for a change in career and graduated with a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Adelaide in 2013. He has undertaken vintages in several regions in Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom. Training as an assistant winemaker with Hardys, Alisdair worked in the Arras sparkling wine program for several years under Ed Carr, where he gained a passion for crafting quality sparkling wine. During this time he had the opportunity to undertake a vintage at the sparkling wine house Nyetimber in the UK which gave him further experience in cold climate wine production. Since moving to Victoria in 2018 Alisdair has furthered his interest in producing wines from cool climate regions and joined Rahona Valley to focus on producing top quality cool climate wines.
Our Partners and Supporters
Member of Dromana Habitat
Member of Mornington Peninsula Hinterland Tourism Association
VisitMP Partner Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board
We would like to acknowledge the support of Mornington Peninsula Shire in redevelopment of our website and ecommerce strategy.