Murrumbateman, NSW (Jan 2021)
Murrumbateman is a little town in NSW, 40 minutes drive north west of Canberra and not far from Yass. It used to be a gold mining village but is now known for its vineyards, being at the heart of Canberra wine country.
What an ugly year 2020 was! Like everyone else, the global pandemic put a stop to all our travel plans. We lost a chunk of money after our trip to LA got cancelled in April (thanks Cadillac Hotel Venice Beach for not refunding us despite being a fully refundable booking). Plus Steve and I found ourselves working harder than ever, as the lines of work we are both in saw the pandemic actually creating more work for us. The final insult to injury was getting stuck in lock down over Christmas. Mind you, I know there were people much worse off than us so I’m not really complaining. Compared to our family & friends in the UK, we had it easy being in lock-down at Christmas on the northern beaches of Sydney during an Australian summertime.
In late January 2021, we decided to dip our toes in the water and to venture out of Sydney for a day trip to regional NSW. This was our first trip since the pandemic and since we can’t travel overseas we thought we’d make the most of our local area and visit somewhere we haven’t been before. We’ve been to Canberra plenty of times and driven past signs advertising local wineries but not had the chance to stop. I heard there were some decent wines in the area so we decided on the Canberra winery region as our destination. After getting some tips from one of our Canberran based friends and doing some research I picked some wineries in the Murrumbateman area. COVID safe plans meant booking would be essential. We wouldn’t be able to roll up and expect to be accommodated. I set about building an itinerary.
We decided to head down early, spend the day checking out local wineries and then stay overnight. The 3.5 hour drive each way is manageable in one day and I’ve certainly done that for work related day trips but I didn’t fancy driving back at night after a day of eating and wine tasting.
Our itinerary :
- 6:30 am Leave home
- 8:30 am Stop for breakfast at Marulan
- 11:00 am Yarrh Wines
- 12:30 pm Eden Road Wines
- 1:45-3:15 pm Lunch at Olleville (Shaw Vineyard Estate)
- 4:00 pm Clonakilla
- 5:00 pm Head to Canberra to our accommodation for the night
We set off on Sunday morning, right on time leaving our home on the northern beaches of Sydney to drive southbound out of Sydney. Most Sydneysiders will agree, the worse part about a road trip is getting out of Sydney. It seems to take forever before we find ourselves finally on the freeway escaping the city limits.
After driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, onto the M5 we hit the M31 Hume Highway. Normally our first stop would be Pheasants Nest for a pitstop, leg stretch and snack/coffee but today we decided to keep going and head to Sutton Forest for our mid-way stop. By this time we were ready for a light breakfast and much in need of coffee. COVID case numbers in Sydney were under control however having not long been out of lockdown we both felt quite nervous when we observed the number of people about. Social anxiety setting in we wanted to avoid people as much as possible so we opted for the drive-thru McDonalds for coffee and breakfast and sat in the car park area under the shade of the trees. Then we continued south again on the M31 towards Yass.
Just after passing through Gunning we saw the signs for Murrumbateman and pulled off onto the Barton Highway. Another few turns and we were on a quiet country road heading towards the Yarrh Winery. The countryside was looking so lovely, and unusually green for this time of year. There were no cars about and we were ahead of schedule so I pulled over to take a look and snap a photo of the hills with a lake in the distance. It was already getting hot but I knew it would get worse as temperatures were predicted to reach the low 40’s C.
Yarrh Winery
Our first cellar door booking was at the Yarrh Winery and we arrived 10 minutes early which was perfect. It gave me a moment to stretch my legs after the drive and admire the views of the nearby vineyards. It felt like a typical Australian summer’s day in the country: dry heat, the sounds of crickets and plenty of flies about. I nervously watched where I tread for fear of snakes but I think it was even too hot for them.
Just on 11am we approached the cellar door, slightly apprehensive as there didn’t seem to be anyone about. As we opened the door the cool air conditioning welcomed us in, along with a lady who looked like she worked there. We announced our booking, scanned the Covid QR code at the door, sanitised our hands and were guided to a nearby table with some high stools which I just about managed to climb onto (I’m vertically challenged with my 5 foot stature). Our host gave us some information sheets about the wines, told us how the tasting worked and chatted to us briefly, then left us for a moment while we chose which wines we’d like to try. We each selected wines and then she brought them out in a cute little wooden tray with the wines in glasses which looked like test tube flasks. I had chosen their 2019 Mr Natural Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Mr Natural Sangiovese Rose, 2019 Sangiovese and 2018 Shiraz, while Steve chose 2018 Late Harvest, 2018 Pinot Noir, 2019 Mr Natural Shiraz and 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon.
This was just the kind of cellar door we liked. Small, relaxed, and a personal experience. There was just the right level of engagement from our host, who was available to answer any questions but also not hovering too closely, allowing us the ability to chat quietly as we discussed and decided which wines we liked most. We learnt that our quietly spoken host was Fiona Wholohan, the Yarrh winemaker, and that all wines were made from their own vineyard and bottled on site. Being designated driver I only had a sip or two from each of my selection and Steve drank the rest so he was feeling a bit tipsy at the end.
We eventually decided which wines we liked the most, joined the wine club and left the cellar door having purchased a dozen bottles consisting of a mixture of the 2019 Mr Natural Sauvignon Blanc, 2018 Late Harvest, 2018 Pinot Noir, 2019 Sangiovese and 2018 Shiraz.
Eden Road Wines
Next stop in our schedule was Eden Road Wines, a 15 minute drive on the other side of the Murrumbateman village. We found the sign post and turned off the main road onto a narrow dirt road lined with trees either side which we found out was referred to as “The Avenue”.
Once we got to the end and turned the corner we were greeted by vineyards, some large oak trees and found the cellar door. Our booking was for 12:30pm and we were slightly early. Our first observation was that this place was a lot busier. There were quite a few cars in the car park and we were lucky to find a spot in some shade under one of the large oak trees to stop the car from baking too much in the heat, which was now climbing into the high 30’s.
As we approached the cellar door a few people were leaving and we could see a small group seated inside, and were relieved it wasn’t too crowded. We entered and went through the CovidSafe ritual, checking in on the QR code, sanitising our hands. Then we announced our booking and were directed to sit at a table with more high stools that I had to climb onto.
The tasting here was different to our last experience but equally as enjoyable. Our host was a young man from Columbia who was clearly very passionate and knowledgable about their wines. He darted between our table and another group seated nearby, providing all sorts of information about the wines we were tasting. As usual we started with the whites, enjoying their Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnays. Then we moved on to try their Sangiovese, Syrah (Shiraz) and Pinot Noir. We learnt that their wines were produced from vineyards in several different regions around the Canberra wine district, including Murrumbateman, Lake George, the Hill Tops and as far as Gundagai. Their award winning winemaker, Celine Rousseau, was trained in Bordeaux, France and we could detect a slightly french style to their wines. Steve kept commenting on how they tasted clean and light. Not usually a fan of chardonnays I was surprised how much I liked these but our favourite was definitely their “Long Road Syrah”.
We decided we would join this wine club too and buy some wines to take on with us. Unfortunately it all got a little stressful at this point as a few more groups came in and it got very busy. We ended up having to wait about 15 minutes and were getting worried we were going to be late for our lunch booking with our friends up the road. It all worked out though and we managed to get it all sorted and into the car only running a few minutes late.
Olleyville at Shaw Vineyard Estate
We had chosen Olleyville for our lunch destination after receiving a tip from our friend Nicky that they had indoor seating with air conditioning. Some of the other nearby restaurants were outdoor dining and that just wouldn’t do on a day like today. It was one of those days when you open the car door and are greeted by a furnace. There was no way my English blooded husband, Steve, would tolerate outdoor dining today.
We met up with our Canberra based friends, Chris and Nicky. Our booking at 1:45pm worked out perfectly, as it meant we could enjoy a relaxing lunch chatting with our friends, without pressure to vacate our table. Although there was one small downside to our late sitting – they had run out of a couple of items on their delicious looking menu. The restaurant was large and almost full, clearly very popular on a Sunday afternoon. We decided in the end to order a few dishes to share, plus a bottle of Shaw Estate’s Riesling. All the food was delicious, especially the Margherita pizza and the pork belly was to die for. Sorry there are no photos, we enjoyed the food, wine and company so much I forgot to take any! We would have been quite happy to sit there relaxing and chatting with our friends for the rest of the afternoon but at around 3:30pm we had to leave to get to our last cellar booking for the day.
Clonakilla
Our final cellar booking was scheduled at 4:00pm, just down the road at Clonakilla. This small, family owned winery has great reviews and many people we have since spoken to have raved about them, particularly their Viognier influenced Shiraz.
The first thing we noticed about this boutique winery surrounded by vineyards was that it is clearly very popular. We arrived just on 4:00pm, walked through the door, checked in on the QR code and could see one of the staff looking slightly flustered as he moved rapidly among the tables, bottles in hand. The place was almost full with a couple of larger groups. We stood by the door for a while waiting awkwardly, then decided to move to a nearby vacant table. Our host saw us not long after and commented he hadn’t seen us slip in, though I’m not sure how he had missed us.
I think we were a little tired from all our driving, tasting and the big meal we had just ingested, not to mention all the water I had drunk to clear the alcohol from my system which I feared might have been building up even though I had drunk very little. Consequently, we felt less enthusiastic and didn’t really enjoy our experience at this winery as much as the other two we had visited earlier. We could see the two people working there were both under the pump, hot and sweaty and while our particular host was still very friendly he couldn’t give us the same personal level of attention we had enjoyed at the other wineries.
That is not to say we didn’t enjoy the wines. Given how full we were from lunch, we decided not to sample the full range after the host asked us if we wanted to try everything or preferred to select wines we wanted to try. We started with a couple of whites that interested us, including a Riesling, the Viognier Nouveau and the Eden Valley Viognier, which we enjoyed. Then we moved straight onto the reds, finishing with the famous 2014 Shiraz Viognier Museum Release. I was very impressed with the Shiraz Viognier – from the first sip it was like tasting smooth liquid berries made out of warm velvet. For sale at $120 a bottle, I was also impressed they sold a 2018 version in a magnum size for $230. We analysed our tastings, decided on our favourites (which for me included the Shiraz Viognier) but having spent so much already that day, we ended up purchasing just two bottles of the 2019 Riesling and two of the 2019 O’Riada Shiraz. When paying for these at the bar I also spied some delicious looking chocolates on display from a nearby chocolatier and added a cheeky chocolate to our purchase, popping it in my mouth as we waited for them to bundle up our wines to take away.
Upon reflection it’s always going to be the case that the less busy the winery the more personal attention you will receive. I should have remembered from past experience that it’s often better to visit cellar doors earlier in the day or not on a weekend, when they aren’t so busy. Then again if it’s atmosphere you are after, Clonakilla does have plenty of that. And you really cannot visit Murrumbateman without stopping at Clonakilla to try that Shiraz Viognier. A word of advice though if you are heading here towards the end of your winery tours – make sure you save some money to pick up some of their star wine!
