Tue 14 Mar 2006
Well the old man upstairs certainly put on a good Sunday for it this year. The weather in Rutherglen was absolutely superb. Albeit not a centralised food and wine festival such as those at Werribee and Hanging Rock, each winery certainly made a go of it.
In a nutshell, for $5 you bought yourself a tasting glass. And for that, at every winery you go to, you can taste to your heart’s content - and that we did. If you like what you taste and fancy a bite, then you can have a meal and a glass of wine for $15. Each winery putting on a meal that suited their vino. Sounds good? Well keep reading!
Rutherglen is more known for it’s ports, muscats and a tannic little monster called Durif, kind of pronounced (Deau-reef). Until now i’ve had very little to do with this. But opportunities like this come only once. Durif is also known as Petit Syrah in the US of A because it’s made of tiny Syrah (Shiraz) grapes with really thick skins. This gives you a wine can be up to twice as tannic as a normal read that’s very full bodied and can mature easily for up to 20 years. So there were plenty of gruff reds going around.
First stop was Buller Wines. Frankly these guys did nothing for me with some not-so-peppery, not so fruity Shiraz. But hey, you be the judge of your own pallette. You could tell the quality was there in their wines though and they put on a pretty good show. Although their sushi meal for $15 was downright average. Room for improvement next year!
Next stop, Cofield wines, and what a result! These guys had a great history in the region and were very much the family business. Four brothers and the old man all on site plugging away. They had a pretty good selection of wines too no less. And definitely the most extensive range of Durifs and Shiraz in the region, and some great fruity whites. So I bought a bottle of their Jess Sauv Blanc, a cleanskin Petit Verdot and a Cab Sauv. Their meal was a fantastic little Barbequed Kangaroo and mango chutney thing with a Sparkling Shiraz which went down a treat!
G Sunderland Smith and Sons were among the oldest and most reputable in the region. Also the most ramshakle, despite being one of the first winemakers in Australia to ever win an international award. They had their tastings in an old shed down a dirt road and it really could’ve been done with a bit more panache. Anyway their wines definitely weren’t a let down and that’s what matters.
Finally All Saints estate certainly was a great way to end the day. Their castle has a reception centre and both wine tastings and a cheese shop. So we finished off with a glass of their Chardonnay and a cheese plate. Nothing to fault here. Definitely the highlight of the day. The vino is definitely on par as well and I ended up taking home their exceptional Bordeaux red, simply named the Pierre.
Because it’s a decentralised festival, you do have to drive from one winery to the next. Though they’re not far apart and it’s all the more fun that way anyway. Every winery had free breath testing machines and tea and coffee for designated drivers. So it was very well prepared.
Just let it be said that Rutherglen is a 3 hour drive from Melbourne one way! So be prepared for 6 hours driving or book a Hotel room early. But most importantly get in there and enjoy. Well worth the drive up!
Web links
Rutherglen visitor info site - Details all the wineries in the regions, how to get there, accomodation, everything!
