NA ="Wangaratta, Oxley, Milawa, Markwood,";
FE1[0]=" The King Valley is located at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range in North East Victoria. Rich soils and abundant water make this valley ideal for agriculture. King Valley has the largest area of vines (some 2,500 acres) of ";
FE2[0]="any cool climate grape-growing region of Victoria. It supplies many of the top class, large Australian wineries with premium grapes. Brown Brothers still source almost half the crop from the region, which is approaching 10,000 ton";
FE3[0]="s of grapes per annum. The region is very much in two entirely different climates. The valley proper including Milawa and Oxley is at some 600-800 meters above sea level.  Some 30-40 kilometres further south around the towns of Wh";
FE4[0]="itfield and Cheshunt the area is higher and cooler with deep volcanic soils. Most vineyards use high vertical trellising and double cordon training of the vines to get maximum leaf exposure to the sun for flavour building photosyn";
FE5[0]="thesis and some bunch exposure to the sun to help also with disease control and full ripe characters in the wines. Recently Miranda Wines have set up a winery and a grower owned crushing facility, 'King Valley Wines', which crushe";
FE6[0]="s and supplies juice to about 20 wineries who buy from the region. The King Valley varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Durif, Gamay, Mondeuse, Muscat, Zinfandel, Petit Ver";
FE7[0]="dot, Meunier, Ruby Cabernet, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Traminer, Verdelho, Viognier and White Frontignac. The King Valley's climate is very similar to the grape growing areas around Alba in the";
FE8[0]=" Piedmont and Spain and there is a trend towards new varieties and in particular Mediterranean varietals. This is a natural consequence of the fact that many of the growers in the King Valley are Italian or of Italian parentage an";
FE9[0]="d the local culture is strongly influenced by this factor. Nebbiolo, Barbera, Tempranillo, Dolcetto, Graciano, Marzemino, Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio are grown very successfully in the King Valley.";
LA1[0]=" The King Valley winegrowing area in the North East of Victoria encompasses the watershed of the King Valley including the Oxley and Docker plains west to the Hume Highway at Glenrowan. The King River, which has two sources behind ";
LA2[0]="Mount Cobbler in the Victorian Alps, runs approximately due North in a narrow fertile valley bounded by tree-lined hills to Edi, just south of Moyhu. From here the river meanders through the Oxley Plains for a further 30 kilometre";
LA3[0]="s to join the Ovens River at Wangaratta. Like all river systems, the King Valley owes its great fertility and ability to economically produce a wide range of agricultural products to the continual process of flood and changes in r";
LA4[0]="iver course, associated with periods of high rainfall over the long history of the area. Serious drought, as well as bushfires and floods, are also regular features of the regional environment. There is diversity and variability i";
LA5[0]="n soils and soil types in the various grape-growing locations, and include red and friable fertile gradational and acid soils, mainly of volcanic origin and of high permeability, with surface texture of loam and sandy loam, with d";
LA6[0]="epths of 1.5 m and greater. Most of the recent grape vine plantings in the upper valley and on the hilltops are located on the volcanic soils to the west of the King River, which undoubtedly influence the character and style of Ki";
LA7[0]="ng Valley wines.";
LA8[0]="";
LA9[0]="";
CL1[0]=" The climate changes progressively and significantly from north to south, from lower northern elevations to higher southern elevations, with a progressive increase in rainfall and decrease in heat summations. The climate here is id";
CL2[0]="eal for the production of fine sparkling wine base.      Harvest time - Mid March to early May; Heat Degree Days - 1150-1820;  Location: 36°21'S, 146°19'E ;  Annual rainfall: 670-1400 mm; Mean January temp: 20.6°C; Sunshine hours ";
CL3[0]="per day: 8.9.";
CL4[0]="";
CL5[0]="";
CL6[0]="";
CL7[0]="";
CL8[0]="";
CL9[0]="";
HI1[0]=" Vines were first planted commercially in the King Valley region by James Henley at Markwood in 1882, and by 1891 there were 10 vineyards recorded in the King Valley. However the very buoyant wine industry which had developed in No";
HI2[0]="rth East Victoria commenced its long decline in the 1890s, following the 1893 depression, and the appearance of phylloxera at Rutherglen. Wine-grapes have been grown on the Oxley Plains since last century, with the Brown family op";
HI3[0]="erating their well-known, and now substantial, winery at Milawa continuously from 1889 to this day.  In 1970 two innovative farmers started growing grapes in the upper reaches of the King Valley in the area between Moyhu and Whitf";
HI4[0]="ield. The resurgence of the national wine industry in the 1980's encouraged new vine plantings, which mushroomed as local farmers established alternative agricultural businesses to the declining dairy and tobacco industries. Altho";
HI5[0]="ugh production of berry and other fruits, peppermint, deer farming etc have all been tried with limited success, and tobacco production still exists under a limited quota scheme, wine-grapes have now surpassed all as the major sou";
HI6[0]="rce of income for the region. There are now over 75 families in the King Valley dependent on grapes as their primary source of income. The King Valley Virgin Wine, Food and Arts Festival is held at Whitfield each November, startin";
HI7[0]="g, in 1999, on November 19. It features the 'Shed Show' where over 80 wines made from King Valley grapes are available for tasting and judging by the public, culminating in a dinner when the winners are announced. The art and wood";
HI8[0]="working exhibition offers $3500 in prize money and there are wine and food stalls, performing arts events, artisan displays, petanque competitions, paddock to plate displays, children's activities, free entertainment and a quality";
HI9[0]=" craft market.";