ACT - Canberra - a capital idea for wine and food
Winsor Dobbin
Shaw Vineyard Estate
The Canberra district is one of Australia’s fastest-emerging wine regions with several very good producers stretching from Lake George to Murrumbateman.
Today there are over 40 cool-climate wineries on the doorstep of the national capital, including two that rank alongside the very best in the country; Clonakilla and Helm. Other stars include Lark Hill, Collector, Pialligo Estate and Mount Majura. The region is extremely versatile with a wide range of styles. Our tour starts in the north at Lake George and takes in top cellar doors, cafés and gourmet producers before concluding in Murrumbateman.
Stop 1 - Wine tasting
Lerida Estate
This Glenn Murcutt-designed cellar door, winery and café is 45 kilometres north of Canberra, overlooks vineyards and the often dry Lake George and is home to a range of award-winning wines. There is a picnic and BBQ area and visitors are welcome to use the petanque court.
Café Lerida, open only on weekends and public holidays, offers a menu that changes weekly, featuring dishes like roasted vegetable and ricotta frittata with salad, home-made pies, scones and a range of desserts.
You must taste:
- The reds from 2006 are outstanding, so make sure to try both the pinot noir and shiraz viognier, both of which have enjoyed show success.
- The 2008 pinot gris is the latest white success story.
Open: Daily 10am-5pm. Café open weekends and public holidays serving beverages, including espresso coffee, from 10am-5pm and meals 11am-4pm.
Federal Highway,
Lake George
Tel (02) 6295 6640
Stop 2 – Wine and food tasting
Poacher’s Pantry and Wily Trout Wines
This smokehouse and cellar door offers a quintessentially country experience after a drive down a dirt road.
In addition to selling gourmet meats, poultry and vegetables smoked on the premises, it’s also the cellar door for Wily Trout wines, made from grapes grown on the surrounding hills, and home to the Smokehouse Café, where you can linger over dishes like emu prosciutto or smoked duck breast.
Open: Cellar door and tastings 10am-5pm daily. Café for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, Fri-Sun and public holidays.
Nanima Road,
Hall
Tel: (02) 6230 2487
Stop 3 – Wine tasting and lunch
Cello Cuisine at Shaw Vineyard Estate
Shaw Vineyard Estate is one of the most modern cellar door operations in the region, having only opened in 2005, and its wines have picked up tons of show medals over the past 12 months. You can taste the wines while browsing through a collection of hand-painted ceramics, or splash out on a bottle of balsamic vinegar imported from Italy. The Cello Cuisine restaurant specialises in pizzas, pastas and Mediterranean-style dishes.
You must taste:
- Reds are the standouts here, so make sure to try the shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz/cabernet blend, all from the 2006 vintage.
Open: Cellar door Wed-Sun 10am-5pm. Restaurant: 10am-4pm Thur-Sun and dinner from 6.30pm Thur-Sat.
34 Isabel Drive,
Murrumbateman
Tel: (02) 6227 5827
Stop 4 - Wine Tasting
Yarrh Wines
One of the friendliest cellar doors in the region is Yarrh, which has a rammed-earth and corrugated-iron cellar door and winery where visitors can look in on the winemaking process - and offers a food and wine matching lunch, accompanied by live music, on the first Sunday of each month.
The views here are spectacular and the wines are all estate-grown and made.
You must taste:
- There is a very good range of wines across the board but the spicy, elegant 2006 shiraz is exceptional.
Open: 11am-5pm weekends and public holidays.
Yarrh Wines
Greenwood Road,
Murrumbateman
Tel: (02) 6227 1474
Stop 5 – Wine Tasting
Helm Wines
Ken Helm is a Canberra region pioneer who has been making wines since 1973. He produces some of the very best rieslings in Australia at his tiny Murrumbateman winery, which is a must for any visit to the region.
Cellar door tastings are conducted in an atmospheric old school house that was once used for Temperance League meetings.
You must taste:
- The “drink now” 2008 Helm Classic Dry Riesling and the cellar-worthy 2008 Helm Premium Riesling are absolutely outstanding.
Open: Thur-Mon 10am-5pm.
Butts Road,
Murrumbateman
Tel: (02) 6227 5953
Stop 6 – Dinner and overnight
Country Guesthouse Schonneg
Schonegg is a stylish cross between a European guesthouse and an upmarket motel, surrounded by the vineyards of Murrumbateman. Breakfasts are outstanding and dinner is served at weekends.
The menu usually features local produce and dishes include the likes of roast lamb short loin with a Szechuan pepper and spinach filling, and porcini jus.
Open: Daily. Lunch and afternoon tea: Fri-Sun noon-4pm, dinner Fri-Sat from 7pm.
381 Hillview Drive,
Murumbateman
Tel: (02) 6227 0344
Regions
- Canberra (ACT)
- Capital Country ACT (ACT)
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