Glenmaggie WinesCelebrating 25 Years & A New Beginning

Words by Ken Roberts | Photos by Doug Pell

A romantic plan scribbled in pencil on a scrap of paper 25 years ago was the initial blueprint for the fabulous winery that it has become today.

Glenmaggie Wines was the dream project of Tony and Fleur Dawkins on a tiny corner of Tony’s parents’ dairy farm where he grew up in a “Boys Own” childhood of hunting, fishing and adventuring on the banks of the Macalister River. The property is nestled into bush just below the Glenmaggie Weir. The Dawkin’s family farm was the first irrigation outlet from the Weir wall.

The 15-acre corner block where the Winery and Vineyard are sited wasn’t ideal for dairy as the land was gravelly and rose gradually into bushland. But Tony was to discover in his later years that this poorer soil up the hill was perfect for cultivating vines and would eventually produce wines of high calibre with distinctive varietal expression.

As with most plans there was never a direct route or foresight into what was going to be involved in making their plan work. The seeds of the initial idea took a long slow germination, tender care and much toil. The rows of vines take years and much labour to establish and produce the fruit required to make wine. And as Tony tells it, “Every mistake you make costs you a year when you plant vines and we made plenty – not enough water, inadequate weed control, poor training, disease and bushfire, and the list goes on. What should have taken 4 years, took us seven. But that’s farming.” of chef Jules Lanham and Tony in the kitchen. These guys just cook whatever they can find seasonally and challenge each other to produce something more delicious and surprising than last time. There is always a vegetarian option and desserts to die for. Follow them on facebook to see what specials they are making each week.

When beginning this dream Tony and Fleur were also earning a living, Fleur working off the property as a Nurse and Tony running the share farm for his parents, while also building a home and raising their son Jack. This was a time, not so long ago, where Google didn’t exist and you couldn’t watch Youtube and find out at the tap of a keyboard how to do something.

Tony, the winemaker, had a great friend Peter Atkins who became a mentor and assisted in his growing skills. Tony studied books and attended workshops and as the vines grew his knowledge also slowly grew as he learnt how the seemingly magical yet quite scientific process of winemaking worked.

On a wing and a prayer they produced their first vintage, bottled it up and were invited to showcase their wines at the Sale Cup race day 2001. This was their first public outing. They have had a slow and continual learning curve from there about producing, marketing and selling their boutique wines, one of the very few in Gippsland still totally grown, harvested and produced on site. This was back when the Farmers Market movement was just beginning and Glenmaggie Wines were on show every weekend somewhere.

Their name and award winning premium cool climate wines slowly became known throughout the region. These wines are distinctly of Gippsland: powerful varietal flavours with a light to medium weight and correspondingly lower alcohols.

It was the pandemic that finally nudged them into action on their muchanticipated next step of creating a bespoke cellar door venue to showcase their wines. Tony and Jack began the building process during lockdown, using local trades when required. When no customers could visit it filled their time and actually enabled them to get on with it. The result is stunning!

Their new cellar door/event space is a triumph! It takes full advantage of its magnificent rural setting, nestled into the hillside with a quintessential Australian bush landscape as a backdrop. The glorious views across a patchwork of fertile farmland below, to the hills of the Avon wilderness in the distance, are superb. The venue is suitable for any season. Outside there are two levels of seating areas, in the sun and under the expansive verandah.

The building, designed in a traditional Australian rural vernacular opens from the solid timber entry doors to a long skillion roofed space comprising dining hall, bar, servery, kitchen and facilities. The décor reflects the casual style and, sophisticated yet comfortable ambience of the venue. The space is conducive to the long relaxed lunches that they are becoming renowned for.

The size of this space makes it ideal for many types of functions and events such as birthdays, celebrations and especially as a wedding venue. In any weather, the backdrop and gardens set between two lovely spotted gums provide the perfect location for gatherings to celebrate that special day and then continue inside their vast room to continue the reverie. The possibilities are endless.

As well as being known as a winery, the menu on offer is also getting rave reviews. Most of the produce is sourced locally, much from the old family dairy farm below, now converted to vegetable growing. Many of the ‘food miles’ are zero, and the quality and freshness cannot be better. Created from local seasonal produce, the creatively crafted menu will constantly delight. Their kitchen produces some Smoked Trout Pate, Pork and Mushroom Terrine and two generous Platters, one Maffra Cheese based and the other featuring locally cured meats and in-house preserves of all sorts. What cellar door would be without Pears in Red Wine with lashings of whipped cream?

Glenmaggie Wines are open Fridays for tastings and platters with a full menu available Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4 pm. Bookings preferred but not essential. Fleur says, “We can always find room for two, but if you are a larger group, best book ahead.”

The secluded location of Glenmaggie Wines is a major part of its appeal, it feels a world away from all the cares of the hurly burly of daily life and somewhere that you can wind down and relax. All this and you are only a short drive away from places like Sale and Maffra. They are a great day trip destination from the Latrobe Valley – a lovely drive through rich farmland to anticipate experiencing the sumptuous delights awaiting at the Glenmaggie Winery tables.

It’s very evident in every aspect of Glenmaggie Wines that Tony and Fleur have poured their heart and soul into the creation of their brand, cellar door and event space.