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.

Our points of difference

Every bottle we craft requires Precision, Patience and Provence – and here’s why:

Showing Rahona valley winemaking with French oak barrels

Precision

Firstly, sparkling wine is the most technically difficult of all wine to produce, requiring specialist knowledge, expertise and equipment. But, it is this investment that makes the difference in our wines. Try them for yourself and taste the difference.

Toby Pieters, owner of Rahona Valley, sitting amongst the barrel hall sampling the wine

Patience

Next its all about patience. All our sparkling wines are made using traditional method techniques, the same as used in Champagne, and as such, each bottle takes over 3 years to craft. But, in the end, the wait is definitely worth it.

The leaves of Rahona valley vines

Provenance

Finally it is the provenance of our grapes that makes the difference in every bottle. The maritime cool climate of the Mornington Peninsula is ideal for crafting sparkling wines. From our humble beginnings we have grown to sourcing from 6 premium vineyards the across the Peninsula. With each providing a unique terroir.

Our journey into wine

Sparkling Beginnings on the Mornington Peninsula

Our journey began in 2014 when Toby and Dianne’s dream of owning a slice of the Mornington Peninsula came to life. A chance encounter led them to Rahona Valley – a secluded vineyard tucked away in a peaceful pocket of Red Hill South. Instantly drawn to its charm, they knew this hidden gem was meant to be theirs.

At the time, Rahona Valley was one of the smallest commercial producers on the Peninsula. But with passion and a vision for premium sparkling wine, Toby and Dianne set out to transform the vineyard. What started as a humble beginning soon evolved into a bold mission: to craft exceptional méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines right here on the Mornington Peninsula.

And so the journey began, they launched the Australian Cuvée Centre in Dromana – a state-of-the-art winery dedicated to the art of sparkling wine. Not only is it the home of Rahona’s wines, but it also supports many other boutique wineries across the Peninsula and beyond in producing world-class sparkling wine.

Today, Rahona Valley is led by a passionate team, including acclaimed chief winemaker Natalie Fryar and senior winemaker Alisdair Park. Together, they focus on creating wines of outstanding quality, guided by three key principles: provenance, precision, and patience.

From its original three-acre plot, Rahona Valley has grown to become one of the region’s leading sparkling wine producers, with a 5-star rating from the Halliday Wine Companion. We now produce over 10 unique sparkling wines, alongside a selection of cool climate table wines including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Syrah. While our heart remains on the Mornington Peninsula, we also craft small batches from select Tasmanian vineyards to complement our range.

At Rahona Valley, we invite you to discover the story in every bottle — where tradition meets innovation, and every sip celebrates the beauty of cool climate winemaking.

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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.  Then 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. In 2007, at the start of the GFC, she established her own market research business. She rode out the storm and took the business from strength to strength over the next 13 years .

And then 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. So when you visit our cellar door and chat to Dianne about what makes Rahona…. Seriously. Good.  

Today Dianne is also President of Beyond the Bays Tourism – where she volunteers her time to represent over 80 tourism businesses in the Hinterland and Western Port regions of the Mornington Peninsula.

Natalie Fryar

Chief Sparkling Winemaker

Natalie grew up in a wine region and completed work experience with Hardys at age 14. By 16, she had already done her first vintage. Her career has taken her from Great Western to Champagne and Tasmania.

Known as the “Queen of Bubbles,” Natalie spent over 14 years as the winemaker at Jansz Tasmania, helping establish it as a leader in Australian sparkling wine. She now runs her own sparkling label Bellebonne, co-founded Abel Gin, and consults to wineries including Pipers Brook Vineyard, producers of Kreglinger, Pipers Brook, and Ninth Island.

Natalie joined Rahona Valley as sparkling wine consultant in late 2018 and became Chief Sparkling Winemaker in 2019.

Alisdair Park

Senior Winemaker

​Alisdair developed a passion for wine while working in the events industry in Sydney. He changed careers and graduated with a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Adelaide in 2013. Since then, he has completed vintages across Australia, Spain, and the UK.

He trained as an assistant winemaker with Hardys, working on the Arras sparkling program under Ed Carr. There, he developed a strong passion for crafting premium sparkling wine. He also completed a vintage at Nyetimber in the UK, gaining valuable experience in cool climate winemaking.

Since moving to Victoria in 2018, Alisdair has focused on producing wines from cool climate regions. He joined Rahona Valley to continue his pursuit of top-quality cool climate and sparkling wines.

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