Centennial Vineyards, BowralCredit: Destination NSW
Get off the beaten track to explore the small vineyards of the Southern Highlands.
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You'll find a deep dive into the wineries of the Southern Highlands, a 90-minute drive south-west of Sydney, a rewarding experience. Drop in on the hard-working family growers at St Maur or the green and – yes – tractorless team at Tractorless Vineyards for an exceptional Southern Highlands experience that will leave you thirsting for more.
Bowral
Winemaker Jeff Aston started the Tractorless Vineyard in 2012 and now makes biodynamic chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling and rosé. In the popular town of Bowral, sample the wines at the Tractorless Vineyard tasting room at The Mill, an atmospheric 1850s timber and hardware warehouse. If the smoker is lit, order some tasty ribs or brisket to share in the expansive communal courtyard. There are also guided wine and cheese degustations or give your tastebuds a treat, sipping and swirling the impressive Creators wines.
Tractorless Vineyard embraces a combination of old-world knowledge and new-world techniques – and Jeff loves to share his interest in sustainable wine. For instance, he runs sheep across the vineyard to reduce the estate’s tractor use, giving the label its cheerfully quirky name. You can take a tour of the Braemar vineyard where you will learn how he creates biodynamic wines, enjoy a back-of-the-ute wine tasting and meet the woolly workers.
Berrima
In Berrima, PepperGreen Estate has an elegant cellar door in an iconic building that once operated as an antique store. Try the premium cool-climate wines including pinot noir, shiraz and sparkling wine, as well as their extra-virgin olive oil. The Tasting Room serves breakfast and has an impressive lunch menu with suggested wine pairings. For something extra special, try the Wine & Canapés Experience, led by a sommelier in the winery’s private cellar. The vineyard is on pretty, undulating slopes and their olive grove is just down the road.
Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival 2018, Bowral Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine pairings at the 2018 Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival held at the iconic Bradman Oval in Bowral.
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Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival 2018, Bowral Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine pairings at the 2018 Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival held at the iconic Bradman Oval in Bowral.
PepperGreen Estate, Berrima Credit: Destination NSW
Exterior of PepperGreen Estate Cellar Door and Tasting Room in Berrima.
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PepperGreen Estate, Berrima Credit: Destination NSW
Exterior of PepperGreen Estate Cellar Door and Tasting Room in Berrima.
Exeter
Family-owned Cuttaway Hill winery is just off the Hume Highway on the way into the village of Exeter and offers cool-climate wines and regional produce. Winemaker Mark Bourne invites local producers to stock the Cuttaway Hill Larder with seasonal specials, so there are plenty of treats to accompany your wine tasting. Highlights are the artisanal pies and grazing platters of local cheese. For lovers of sparkling wine, there’s a special tour which includes a demonstration of sparkling wine production. The winery also makes merlot, chardonnay, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc.
Further down the road towards Exeter, you’ll find St Maur, where a father-and-son team have turned out a number of excellent vintages on their single seven-hectare plot of pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes. A former tailor, Nerio Panizzutti established St Maur on his retirement, inspired by the northern Italian vineyards of his family’s heritage. He has transformed the rolling green pastures of the dairy farm he purchased in 1974 to the estate we see today. There’s a lovely cellar door in the former dairy farm’s barn and a delightful outdoor garden.
Mittagong
As you head north on the Hume, Tertini Wines is an easy side-trip if you exit the motorway at Mittagong. It’s one of the most awarded vineyards in the Southern Highlands, producing premium, small-batch wines and some interesting alternative varieties. Visitors love the welcoming hospitality they receive at the cellar door and give the vintners bonus points for the complimentary cheese board and warm, kid-friendly approach. The family-owned winery is a long-time winner of Gourmet Traveller Wine’s Best Tasting Experience award.
Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter Credit: Destination NSW
Winemaker Mark Bourne in the vineyard at Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter.
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Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter Credit: Destination NSW
Winemaker Mark Bourne in the vineyard at Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter.
Tertini Wines, Mittagong Credit: Destination NSW
Winemaker Jonathan Holgate during the production of wine at Tertine Wines, Mittagong.
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Tertini Wines, Mittagong Credit: Destination NSW
Winemaker Jonathan Holgate during the production of wine at Tertine Wines, Mittagong.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.