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Victoria (Eastern Region) |
| Rutherglen | |
| RUTHERGLEN,
18km west of Chiltern and 32km west of Wodonga on the Murray River
Highway, is at the heart of Victoria’s oldest wine-producing region,
renowned for its excellent fortified wines, Rutherglen Muscat and Tokay.
Fifteen wineries are situated in the area, most of them third- or
fourth-generation establishments with cellars full of character.
The landscape is rather disappointing, consisting largely of flat paddocks of cattle and sheep where you’d expect undulating vineyards. In fact, wine making has always been just one of a range of farming activities in this area, where diversification remains the key to survival. The weather partly accounts for the quality of Rutherglen’s fortified wines: the long, mild autumns allow the grapes to stay on the vines for longer, producing higher levels of sugar in the fruit. All the wineries are open for free tastings and cellar door sales from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday – Sunday hours differ from place to place. |
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tourist information centre, at 13–21 Drummond St (daily
9am–5pm), has stacks of brochures, including the informative Rutherglen
Touring Guide and map published by the wine makers of Rutherglen.
Besides selling local wines, the Vintage Cellar, 84 Main St, also rents
out bicycles. On the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June the town hosts the
Winery Walkabout, when the new season’s releases are presented to
the public – one of Australia’s biggest wine-tasting festivals. Tastes
of Rutherglen, another festive event, is held over the Victorian
Labour Day weekend in mid-March; at this time some of the best local
restaurants guest-star at the wineries, in a celebration of fine food and
wine.
Rutherglen is a popular weekend getaway from Melbourne, so accommodation can be hard to find at that time; during the week you’ll have no problem. The focus of the small town is the National Trust-listed Victoria Hotel, 90 Main St, where you can both eat and sleep. On the walls of the bar is a framed cover of the June 28, 1880 Melbourne Herald chronicling the capture of the Kelly Gang, which makes for fascinating reading while you imbibe on the local wines. A good value B&B is Country Cottage Accommodation; one of the many motels is the Walkabout Motel, both on the Murray Valley Highway. Events |
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