Rare cellar treasures to be uncorked

Do you love older wines, particularly those that have been cellared with care?

Passing Clouds is to open its doors for a rare cellar and museum wine release for one weekend only.

The family-owned Macedon Ranges producer - located at Musk, outside Daylesford - is planning a mini festival of decades of back vintages, cellar treasures and wines not offered to the public since their original release date, in some cases over 50 years ago.

From July 17–19, the Leith family will unlock its significant museum wine collections, offering visitors access to carefully cellared wines.

Some have never previously been available for sale.

And because many of the wines come from tiny remaining cellar parcels, once sold they will never be released again.

Owner Cameron Leith said the weekend is about sharing the winery's history.

“For decades we've carefully cellared wines because we believed they still had stories to tell," he says.

“Rather than keeping them hidden forever, we wanted people to experience them as they were intended - with family, friends and good conversation.”

Attendees will also be able to compare mature museum wines with younger vintages, demonstrating the ageing potential of Passing Clouds wines. 

There will be a $20 tasting fee, refundable on any wine purchase.

See www.passingclouds.com.au

After 50+ years in the same family, Passing Clouds hits the market

Passing Clouds Vineyard, a family-owned wine producer with a 50+ year history, is up for sale by the Leith family.

The winery and cellar door, located at Musk, just outside Daylesford in Victoria, is being marketed by Nick Butler of LJ Hooker Specialty Projects.

Passing Clouds is described as "one of the jewels of the Macedon Ranges" .

The property has mature chardonnay and pinot noir vines with room for expansion, along with the cellar door with casual tasting and picnic areas, overlooking the winery.

Set away from the working business, the property also boasts an almost new architecturally designed five-bedroom home and a separate three-bedroom cottage.

Selling agent and vineyard specialist Butler has enjoyed a relationship with the Leith family for over 20 years.

“The demand for quality pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards remains strong with recent sales recognising that consumers are gravitating more and more to these varieties," Butler says.

"The Macedon Ranges is home to some of Australia’s finest wines and Passing Clouds Vineyard sits up at the upper echelon.

"Combining an established and well recognised vineyard and brand with the low hanging fruit of upside through a shortage of accommodation in the area and this represents an incredible opportunity to own something beautiful and highly profitable.”

Passing Clouds began in Bendigo before being established in the Macedon Ranges almost three decades ago.

Founder Graeme Leith handed over the reins to the next generation 15 years ago: his son Cameron and daughter-in-law Marion.

“Passing Clouds celebrated 50 years last year, and with that milestone came time to pause and reflect for us and our young family," said Cameron and Marion.

"We decided that it is time for us to move on to new pursuits. Whilst we will miss this beautiful property we are excited about our family's next chapter”

Included in the sale is an inventory of wines.

“The 2025 season was the best since the vineyard was planted in 1998," says Cameron Leith.

"We had the highest yields on record and achieved optimum ripeness and quality.”

Passing Clouds is for sale via an Expressions of Interest Process closing 2pm on Friday, June 20. Call 0458 672 643 |or email nick.butler@ljhavalon.com.au

Onwards and upwards at Passing Clouds

 

The team at Passing Clouds in the Macedon Ranges has unveiled plans for a new dining space where guests can "share food, wine and stories". 

Passing Clouds is located at Musk, a hamlet just a short drive from Daylesford, and has been producing wines since 1974 and hosting food experiences since 2015.

The dining room at Passing Clouds has been described as having a vibe that feels like “coming over to a friends for lunch”.  The food, in my experience, is excellent.

The newly renovated dining area overlooks the estate's cool climate chardonnay and pinot noir vineyards and will offer private dining options for six or more guests. 

The kitchen has been given and upgrade, as has the menu, with head chef Cameron McKenzie given more space and new equipment after seven years cooking over a firepit. 

Guests are encouraged to participate in a personalised wine tasting - with a new wine tasting space outside that allows them to taste the premium cool climate wines of the estate and Bendigo wines that the Leith family has been producing for almost half a century. 

Burgundy trained head winemaker Cameron Leith and his wife Marion moved towards biodynamics and regenerative agricultural practices five years ago. 

From May, the Passing Clouds Dining Room will serve lunch from noon Thursday-Monday with the new space available for groups. 

The cellar door is open seven days a week from 10am. See www.passingclouds.com.au

Images: Marni Hawson

Holy land! Ruined former church to become luxury accommodation

The team behind award-winning luxury accommodation Clifftop at Hepburn and Samurai Villas have taken on a new challenge: converting a derelict church to luxury accommodation.

David and Manolita Penman have purchased the once grand St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Daylesford and plan to pay respect to the church's history as they transform it into somewhere special to stay.

Time has not been kind to St Andrew’s. The buildings have been neglected and frequented by local youths for sex, drugs, alcohol and vandalism.

The dilapidated wooden Sunday School to the rear of the church was in a particularly ruined state and posed a genuine danger before its recent collapse in the storms.

The Council acted quickly to protect the community and issued an Emergency Demolition Order.

"With the Sunday School gone, it deeply saddens me that vandals turned their attention to destroying the historically and architecturally significant church itself," says David Penman.

" Virtually all of the stained glass windows have been smashed beyond salvage and some have even had their frames ripped from the wall. Doors have been torn from hinges and racist graffiti has been sprayed both inside and outside the church. Most lights fittings have been smashed and people have even been defecating in the Church.

"Time has wrought water leaks, rotting floors, mould and crumbling brickwork."

St Andrew’s (above, in its pomp) was notable for its stunning pipe organ, built by E. Cornwall Cook in 1904. One of only two surviving organs by Cook in Australia.

The restoration and renewal of the church is a significant and costly project that requires considerable financial resources and time.

The Penmans have plans in train, subject to council approval, convert the remains of the church into two luxury villas and build several townhouses to the rear.

www.clifftopathepburn.com.au

A bath and a half for everyone

The quirky and eclectic village of Daylesford is known for farmgate trails, wellness warriors and holidaymakers looking to escape the big city for the perks and privacy of the countryside.

Daylesford and neighbouring Hepburn Springs are also well known for their hot springs and spas.

In the midst of the madness that was 2021, two of Australia’s most highly awarded accommodation operators embarked on a journey to build Australia’s best outdoor baths in Daylesford.

David and Mani  Penman are the operators of Clifftop at Hepburn and Samurai Villas, which featured here a few days ago. 

“We learned early on that its all about the bath," says David Penman.

"Bathing isn’t just about intimacy and comfort…there are real health benefits too. Immersive bathing increases body temperature and enhances the flow of oxygen.”

Clifftop at Hepburn offers a decadent choice of indoor and outdoor baths, from stone to blackwood, bronze, copper and stunning terrazzo marble. 

Clifftop’s new Samurai Villas boast a 2.6-tonne outdoor stone behemoth carved from a massive boulder (set in one of the state’s best Japanese gardens) and the new Precarious villa will showcase a camphor laurel wooden bath with fibre-optic lighting inlaid in resin (below) – the only bath of its type in the world.

 

And the Penmans are not resting on their laurels. There’s plans in hand for one-of-a-kind outdoor baths built on gigantic ethically-sourced logs weighting up to 20 tonnes each…and there is also talk of a treehouse with a bath!

For details and bookings see www.clifftopathepburn.com.au/ 

Turning Japanese: a touch of Asia in Daylesford

Clifftop at Hepburn outside Daylesford is one of Australia's best regional destinations. 

Think beautiful villas where the attention to detail is exceptional. A luxurious getaway boasting spectacular landscapes.

Now the busy couple behind Clifftop at Hepburn - David and Manolita Penman - have launched new a new accommodation business: Samurai Villas in the heart of Daylesford.

The new venture promises "world-class luxury with an exotic Japanese twist". 

So think ornamental gardens with stunning pavilions, outdoor bath precincts, water features, bonsai trees, a barrel sauna and even a Monet bridge. 

A little slice of Japan within striking distance of one of the best small towns in Australia. 

This hidden oasis is just minutes from the many eateries, cafes quirky shops that delightfully eccentric Daylesford has to offer.

Highlights include bespoke hand-made wooden furniture, beautiful ponds and waterfalls and colourful shubunkin fish darting playfully. 

There is a new website at www.clifftopathepburn.com.au and the Samurai Villas will be live on the website this week.   

Stay tuned for more. I'll certainly be checking out Samurai Villas as soon as possible.