Orange is a cool climate viticultural area due to its elevation. To qualify for the Orange Geographical Index (GI) the vineyard must be above 600 metres elevation.
The Patina vineyard is at 930 metres. In addition it is cooled by the air that drains down the valleys from Mt Canobolas which stands 1395 metres high. This makes Patina a cool site in a cool climate region and is prone to occasional frost.
Although there has been a spot of frost damage here and there, I have increased tonnage each year and expanded the Patina range to include Pinot Noir in 2003 and Riesling in 2005.