Morris family marks 165 years of wine tradition

When you walk into the Morris cellars in Rutherglen you can literally smell the history. 

In Rutherglen, north-east Victoria, the glorious fortified wines produced here hark back to a different time in Australia. Think muscats, topaques and tawny styles refined over the years. 

The Morris family has now been involved for 165 years, making wines and now whiskies. 

The refurbishment of the iconic cellar door and the ushering in of sixth-generation chief winemaker Madden Morris continue the family tradition.

Back in 1859, George Francis Morris established a small vineyard and winery outside Rutherglen, with a trial vineyard plot 3km west of the current Morris location. 

By 1885, plantings had grown to over 600 acres, making Morris the largest wine producer in the southern hemisphere at that time. 

In 1897, Charles Hughes Morris, son of George, established a new vineyard, the Mia Mia Vineyard, where the winery and distillery stand today. 

To secure the property, Charles was reluctantly forced to sell the family’s beloved prize-winning racehorse, Fairfield. It is an image of Fairfield that adorns the Morris logo today. 

Local legend Mick Morris commenced his first official vintage as winemaker in 1953, quickly becoming a pioneer of durif as a table wine varietal. 

Mick’s son, David Morris, became the fifth-generation winemaker in 1993 and his son Madden (below) is now in charge of winemaking. 

Morris of Rutherglen, now part of Casella Family Brands, has grown to become one of the most acclaimed fortified, and now whisky, producers in the world. 

An experiment to revive the original 1930s dormant copper still in 2016 saw the creation of a premium single malt whisky. Today, flavours come from finishing in casks which have held a selection of award-winning Morris fortified wines. 

Madden Morris grew up walking around the cellars, learning directly from his father, David Morris, and grandfather, Mick Morris. 

“It is a fantastic achievement to be able to celebrate 165 years of Morris winemaking,” Madden Morris said. "And we look forward to continuing the guardianship of Morris winemaking going forward into future  years.”

For more info see www.morrisofrutherglen.com.

Brown Brothers back in festival mode

The Brown family have always excelled at wine tourism - even before it was a thing.

The Brown Brothers cellar door at Milawa in north-east Victoria has been a favourite stop-off for generations of wine lovers - and helped build immense brand loyalty.

A highlight of the busy events calendar, the 36th annual Spring Wine & Food Festival, returns later this month.

The festivities begin with the opening dinner, a shared feast served in the historic barn and matched with premium Brown Brothers wines, including a taste of rare and back vintage highlights from the Brown family cellar.

The event will be hosted by fourth-generation family member Katherine Brown, and Brown Brothers' wine ambassador Andrew Harris, who will celebrate the family wine history dating back to 1889.

Activities over the weekend include free wine tastings at cellar door; the Innovation Courtyard, where guests can blind taste some new wines, with the opportunity to provide feedback and a GoVino wine tumbler to take home with each adult ticket.

There will be live music in the grounds from noon-3pm, an all-day grazing menu in the Barn and a selection of local beers, ciders and soft drinks.

The event will run from 10am-5pm on both days with admission costing $20.

The restaurant will feature a seasonal set menu of 12 dishes served share-style for $90pp or $130pp with matched wines.

For details, see www.brownbrothers.com.au/event/spring-wine-food-festival-2022/

Discover a special collection of aged wines

Calling all lovers of aged wines. 

All Saints Estate in north-east Victoria is set to offer some of its most precious back vintages from the Family Cellar this June, with its inaugural Museum Release. 

Registrations to purchase the Museum Release are now open on allsaintswine.com.au/museum.

The first edition of the Museum Release features 25 back vintages which can either be purchased individually or as part of a curated pack. 

Selected by winemaker Nick Brown, the wines have been selected based on their rarity and point of maturity. 

“Rutherglen is arguably Australia’s most historic wine region" Brown says. "Our family cellar reflects this history with old-vine wines cared for over the last three decades.

“Optimal storage conditions have allowed the wines to be perfectly aged, and wine enthusiasts will be able to enjoy these treasured vintages at their peak, without needing to cellar themselves. 

"We look forward to sharing this collection with those who are as passionate about wine as we are.”

The selection includes nine vintages of the Family Cellar (black label) range, including the 2004 All Saints Estate Family Cellar Shiraz and the 2007 All Saints Estate Family Cellar Marsanne; limited releases of Alias II (an unusual shiraz muscadelle blend) and Pierre, a Bordeaux-inspired blend named after the Brown’s late father, Peter. 

The curated packs (two, four or six bottles) showcase either variety or vintage; with Nick Brown selecting 2008 and 2013 as the best vintages from this collection.

The Family Cellar was launched by the Browns in 2003 to build a library for the next generation of wine connoisseurs. The wines have been aged in an architecturally designed and self-cooling underground cellar.

For more information, visit allsaintswine.com.au.

Cyclists on track for a better wine region experience

Love cycling?

Enjoy a glass or two of wine?

Cycle tourism in the King Valley in north-east Victoria is on track to receive a boost with the installation of luxury self-contained LumiPod accommodation and cyclist-savvy facilities at Chrismont Wines' vineyard, cellar door and restaurant.

Dubbed ‘Ride Chrismont’, the announcement follows news that the Victorian Government will invest up to $300,000 from its $3.1 million regional partnerships initiative, Ride High Country Fund Round Two, into the winery's new cycle experiences created to maximise the emerging market for gravel riding in the King Valley.

Ride Chrismont is about blending luxury with nature and will feature luxury LumiPod accommodation nestled into the upper terrain of the Pizzini family's King Valley estate, with undisturbed views of the surrounding Black Ranges, Power’s Lookout and the landscapes below.

It will also offer a rentable e-bike fleet, on-site cycle service centre and storage facilities, Restaurant-prepared portable food offerings for cycle picnics, and a concierge-inspired service by staff to offer first-hand knowledge of the King Valley’s cycling tracks and pedal-accessed tourism hotspots.

Expected to launch in early 2023, Ride Chrismont will bring an anticipated 1000-plus bed nights to the region each year, and an estimated $1.5 million annual uplift to the local economy.

Bright future for talented kitchen team

The team behind Astra Lodge at Falls Creek has moved down the mountain to the buzzing valley destination of Bright, opening Elm Dining + The Yard in the same premises that once housed the legendary hatted restaurant Simone's of Bright. 

The multi award-winning Traverse Alpine Group (TAG), took ownership of Elm Dining + Yard Bright in September and opened officially today. 

The guiding hand at TAG belongs to Albury-born Rosy Seaton, the woman behind the award-winning Astra Lodge and the Boat Shed at Lake Hume. 

She aims to offer a "chic dining experience" that also reflects her passion for the region. 

Elm has history on its side with its location in the Victorian cottage at 98 Gavan St, Bright. 

The property has housed eateries including Barnaby’s Restaurant, Clovelly Cottage, Rebekka’s at Bright, and Simone's. 

The Elm Dining formula is simple: a menu that reflects the best of fresh local produce, beers and wines - along with "old-fashioned hospitality".

Kauri Watkin is the head chef and has cooked in Noosa, Japan and at Astra Falls Creek. 

“For decades, 98 Gavin Street has been synonymous with Bright’s food and wine culture," says Seaton. "The team at Elm and I are excited to continue the tradition of exceptional food, wine and service.” 

Think dishes like Murray River cod edamame, seaweed, taro and dashi, or duck breast with buckwheat, trumpet mushrooms and nori with a two-course menu for $75 and a three-course menu for $95. 

The Yard features Australian botanical cocktails and a range of South American-style share plates and quick bites

For details see https://elmdining.com.au/

Rutherglen readies for a tourism revival

Rutherglen is a small. laidback town in north-east Victoria that's known around the world for the quality of its fortified wines. 

The local tourism authority goes so far as to say it is a "buzzing, chic and contemporary getaway destination".

What is not in doubt is that Rutherglen has been given a zhuzh as it readies to emerge from the Covid-19 tourism cocoon.

 

There’s a brand new website offering visitors a new way to explore the region with a selection of tailor-made itineraries. 

For some ideas, check out explorerutherglen.com.au and then take a quick six-question quiz which generates a suggested bespoke itinerary. 

The new site is also a great place to get to know the people behind the wines of Rutherglen. Some of these Faces of Wine trace their lineage six or more generations back to the 1860s when pioneering grape growers first planted. 

It’s also the place to discover a bunch of very new arrivals in the region, including:

●      Grace, a brand new restaurant/deli/bar now open for breakfast, lunch, aperitifs and dinner from the team behind Milkin’ Kitchen  gourmet caterers.

●      Much-loved local foodie institution, The Pickled Sisters, now at a new Main Street location with chef Stewart Gilchrist still at the helm and now offering dinner Friday and Saturday nights as well as all-day brunch and lunch menu Thursday to Sunday

●      New at Cofield Wines (former home of The Pickled Sisters) is Footsteps, a cafe and restaurant highlighting fresh locally sourced produce to match the estate-grown wines. 

●      The Pavilion, overlooking the century-old Calliope vines at Buller Estate, for a long and leisurely winery lunch or a cellar door graze

●      The beautifully restored historic landmark, The Convent, now available for group accommodation.

Other accommodation options include historic Mount Ophir and a tiny house in the vines at Jones Winery. 

# Images: Rowly Milhinch at Scion Wines and Mount Ophir.