Take the time to venture down country lanes. Look for the signs leading to small family concerns where wine is made from the heart... A Sense of Discovery Make sure to drop by – the winemakers are all good for a yarn. Bacchus Hill Winery sits overlooking the lush, orchard filled valley of Bacchus Marsh. Ellender Estate in Glenlyon and Gisborne Peak, have wood fired ovens on the go turning out enjoyable morsels. Mount Charlie, at Riddells Creek offers Malbec, Temperanillo and Shiraz Merlot for tasting. At Butlers Lane, also in picturesque Glenlyon, the wood fired oven overlooks a trout stocked dam whilst at Sailors Falls Estate, outside Daylesford, the oven is fired up for lucky house guests after some hands on activity in the vineyard. Just as in Sunbury, wine making is nothing new to the Daylesford-Hepburn region where Swiss Italian settlers made wine in the 1800s. There is record of a local entering an 1877 Gamais grown at Daylesford, in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-81. And Fabrizzio Crippa’s 1864 red from grapes grown around Villa Parma gained an award at the Manchester Wine Show of 1875. The tradition continues.
Llew Knight Llew Knight of Knight’s Granite Hills took on the mantle of winemaker from his father Gordon in this pioneering family of winemakers in the Macedon Ranges. From plantings commenced as early as 1970 at their high altitude vineyard, Granite Hills has amassed over 400 National and international wine awards. Llew produces peppery Shiraz and exceptional Rieslings that truly can be labeled iconic.
Many wineries host events. Check out our website www.dmproduce.com.au 26
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