​Our heartfelt sympathy and condolences go out to Yvonne and family.

Our outing for August is to Warrabilla Wines, 6152 Murray Valley Highway, Rutherglen. A number of members have been to this winery previously and loudly sing its praises. A tasting fee of $10 will be payable prior to the day which will cover tastings and some basic nibbles. No refund on purchases in this instance.  Payment will need to be made prior to the event and an account number to deposit the $10 will be provided with the notice to members in the next week. If you do not intend to taste wines, payment of the $10 is not necessary and you are still more than welcome to attend both the winery and lunch.

Our lunch will be at Precinct bar and restaurant 60-62 Faithful St Wangaratta. Carolyn and I have eaten at this venue on a number of occasions and have always enjoyed the food and good service. The menu is varied and hopefully there will be something to suit everyone.
​
Carolyn and Garry Smith

​​This month's visit was to Olive Hills Estate on the Murray Valley highway 10 klm out of Rutherglen. The property has a history dating back to 1886 when the magnificent mansion which dominates the property was built.  It has been restored by the current property owners Ros and Kay.  Unfortunately a tour of the mansion was not part of the itinerary!

The tasting took place in the original winery building a huge barn like structure with original chandeliers and lots of character. Ross, our hosts and his family provided a number of wines for tasting  along with commentary and explanation of each tasting. Several of the wines received enthusiastic accolades from tasters, non more so than the Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 which was divine.

​The tasting rooms are located on a rise with splendid views across the property taking in ancient gums vines and bushland. The venue is available for functions such as weddings.

Lunch at the Poachers Paradise Hotel was well received, with plenty of socialising as usual.

Next month we take a break, but hope to be back with a vengeance for the July outing.


​Garry and Caroline Smith

​This month our intrepid group made the climb to Red Feet Winery set high on a hill in the valley of the king. The cellar door is balanced precariously on the edge of a drop to the valley floor below with commanding views to the mountain ranges in the distance.

​We bravely trekked to the cellar door and the rich reward of quality wines waiting for us. Our lovely hostess Meaghan generously shared her knowledge of the wine making process and invited us to put our taste buds to the test, she even recruited some our crew to pour  the tastings, a brave and perhaps fool hardy move. We in turn shared our skill at tasting and just generally drinking great wines. We were encouraged to taste generous proportions of the various wines on offer. As always the team responded with numerous purchases to try at home and perhaps share with others.

​For lunch we chewed up some more of that most expensive of commodities, fuel, and attended Henley wine bar in Milawa. Ensconced under the generous shade of the old and gnarled peppercorn tree the afternoon breeze gave us cause to consider additional clothing. Carolyn came to the rescue with blankets and relocation to the sunny side of the lawn. Food was excellent, service terrific as conversation and laughter continued unabated

It was great to see our recent past convenor Nicole in attendance looking spritely even with her smile masked for safety. Brian was also back in attendance bravely maneuvering his way to a drinking position and dining in the great indoors. It is inspiring to see them attending and we hope they can continue to join us well into the future.

Our May 15 outing will be to Olive Hills Estate, 3221 Murray Valley Highway Rutherglen, a very interesting looking venue.
​
Lunch to follow at Poachers Paradise Hotel, 120 Main Street in Rutherglen, Usual meeting place the U3A car park at 10 am Friday the 15th May 
​
Garry Smith
0428765591

This months we visited the Anderson Winery just out of Rutherglen. Andersons' is a small, family operated winery with most sales being via membership subscriptions. All wines are made by Howard and Christobelle Anderson from grapes grown on the property, the vineyard was established in the early 1990’s and despite being a relatively small vineyard an extensive range of wines were available for tasting.

The opportunity was, as always enthusiastically embraced by our group with many favourable comments about the quality of the wines.

Lunch followed at Posh Plonk a  restaurant located in  a refurbished church in the historic town of Chiltern. The vibe was definitely old world and inviting with everyone enjoying a hearty meal at a realistic price.
 
April's winery visit on Friday, April 17 will be to Red Feet Wines in the King Valley, petrol supplies willing...

Thank you Donald!

​
Garry Smith

​​On arrival at  Darling Estate Winery this month we were greeted with seating and tables on the undercover decking area of the new tasting rooms with extensive views over the property and to the distant mountains.

The tasting was entertaining and included explanation of the wine making process and tasting notes of the various wines. As usual there was plenty of chat amongst the group to accompany the enthusiastic tasting.

​​It was a beautiful day to be sitting in such a scenic spot sipping quality wines. 

Our group pretty much filled the Mohyu Hotel dining room where the social interactions continued unabated. Meals were delivered efficiently and there was lots of positive feed back on the quality and presentation.

Next month's venues to be determined.


Garry Smith 

Lots of Wine Appreciation members at this table!  Click on photo to see more photos...

This month we visited Booths winery at Taminick. the winery is 4th generation family owned vineyard, the cellar door was constructed of local stone in 1914 and remains pretty much  as it was then. Peter and Jenny Booth hosted the tastings on numerous wine varieties all estate grown and made by James the great grand son of the wineries founder. as usual members participated enthusiastically in the tasting and purchased a few bottles to take home. The views across the Warbies from the cellar door are well worth the visit and for those keen on beer, the Black Dog Brewery is also housed at the cellar door. 

The next outing will be the U3A Christmas party 28th of November it is a bit later to avoid conflict with other U3A events. No wine tasting but lots of lovely food and drink at the Benalla Golf Club.

 
Garry and Carolyn Smith

Our hostess Kate presented a fabulous setting at Dinah Wines, with checkered tablecloths on tables set up on a verandah with views over the area, and a bright sunny day. The array of wines and generosity of tastings was amazing and clearly appreciated by all who attended.

The winery was a little different to many previously visited in that it is relatively recently redeveloped with the current owners purchasing the run-down vineyard in 2020. The new owners however have a strong family history in the region as part of the Buller family. They have done an amazing job of quickly establishing an interesting cellar door with great views and food offerings to come.

It was tempting to dally at the winery for a bit longer, but we reluctantly began the move to our luncheon venue at the old priory in Rutherglen. The priory has recently been converted to include accommodation and a Mexican themed restaurant with interesting and varied menu options. The restaurant has a balcony with great views over the surrounding area, but with the weather turning cold, inside was the place to eat. A brewery was also part of the restaurant, with a wide selection of delicious beers also on offer.

The next visit is planned for Friday 19 September.  The venue is geographically different from our recent trips as we are heading to Longleat Cellar Door and Cafe at Murchison. Tasting will be laid on and a restaurant meal provided at the winery by their chef. Details of lunch are still being finalised, further information will be provided to members in due course .

Garry Smith

In July we visited the Kooyonga Creek winery located at Moornag. The cellar door is a substantial building located on a rise with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, a beautiful sunny winters day was on offer to enhance the views. Upstairs was an exhibition of paintings and sculptures, there were a number of interesting sculptures in the garden as we drove in.

Our host Luis Simian is clearly a very talented wine maker judging from the enthusiasm with which the tastings were received and his extensive tour of the wine making process. The winery produces at least 11 different varieties of wines, all were available for tasting and most were tried by one member or other of our group. The tour of the wine making processes introduced us to the concept of maturing wines in large plastic vats instead of wine barrels, the oak flavours where necessary are imparted by using pieces or shavings of oak, a much more efficient way of imparting the flavours to the wine. All agreed The quality of the wine was certainly enhanced by the process and numerous bottles left the cellar door as we departed.

Lunch followed at the Tatong Tavern. With open fires burning and the old world charm on display it was certainly an inviting atmosphere in which to round out the day. The food was tasty and the servings generous. As usual there was plenty of conversation and camaraderie. ​

Our next outing is to Dinah Wines, a small family brewery owned and operated by the Buller family located at 199 Distillery Road Wahgunyah. 

Lunch is a bit different - we have organised the Convent in Rutherglen for lunch which is food with a Mexican flavour. The restaurant as the name suggests is located in the old convent which has been recently renovated and includes a brewery for the beer lovers.

​Garry Smith

Our June visit was to Juliard Winery just outside Beechworth. The winery is also the family home set in very rustic and picturesque surroundings adjacent to the golf course.

Our host Julia and Bernard are clearly very passionate about growing vines in the most environmental friendly way possible with a minimum of human interference. The resulting wines are unique and very enjoyable judging by the amount of tasting and commentary from our group.

June turned on a beautiful sunny day which everyone enjoyed while listening to Julia and Bernards explanation of the vineyard operation and approach to wine making.

A tour of the Cellar was also part of the day and created a lot of interest.

Lunch followed at the Plough Inn at Tarrawingee, this is a fantastic venue with a lot of history, allegedly it was one of Ned Kelly's regular haunts. No ghosts were detected but the building itself retains much of its original historic aura. The food was well priced and of a high quality enjoyed by all, as usual there was much chatter and laughter.Some stayers warmed themselves by the open fire with a cup of coffee.

Everyone was so settled that we were a little late for our 12:30 luncheon booking at the Mountain view hotel just down the road in Whitfield.

As always, the food at the Mountain View view was superb.  The restaurant is owned and operated by another well known local winery family the Pizzini. The interior of the hotel retains an ambience reflecting over 100 yeas of history 

Garry Smith ​

This month we will be off to visit La Cantina Winery in the King Valley on Friday the 16th of May. This is a family-owned vineyard with a long Italian heritage. The Corsini Family have been farming in the King Valley for about 60 years. The wines they make are a little different in that they are preservative free, meaning no hang over, well maybe a smaller hang over depending how much is drunk. There will be a tasting fee of $5.00 for those tasting, payable on the day.

Following the tastings, lunch will be at the Mountain View Hotel a short drive away in Whitfield. The hotel is owned by the Pizzini family who also own a winery in the region. For those who have never eaten here the food is of a very high standard at reasonable pub prices.

The group will be meeting at the Benalla Seniors and Community Centre car park at 10.00 am as usual before proceeding to the winery. 

Garry Smith

A long table was beautifully set up along the decking overlooking the King River ambling by, green lawn stretched down to trees lined river completing the picture-perfect views.
The weather was fine for our outdoor lunch. I don't know how they managed it, but our hosts apparently arranged for annoying insects to stay away for the afternoon. The wines were many and varied, including one made by Ross and Meghan’s 8-year-old daughter - it seems the families wine making passion is in the blood. 

There will not be a wine appreciation outing for April due to both Easter and Anzac Day falling on Fridays. The next one will be on May 23, venue to be confirmed, so stay tuned and all have a wonderful Easter!


Garry Smith

Garry Smith

Last Friday, a very large group of U3A Wine Appreciation members drove to Whitfield in the King Valley to visit Darling Estate Winery.

Original owner, Guy, named the property "Koombahla", the indigenous word for Gum Tree. It was the first Commercial Winery on this side of the King Valley. The family run Estate produces a wide variety of wines; whites, reds and rose.

We all managed to find seats inside the cellar door or outside on the shady veranda. Michelle, Cellar Door Manager, offered us tastings of 9 varieties.

After purchases were safely placed in cars, we all headed back to the Mohyu Hotel. It is a lovely historic Hotel, renovated over the years, but still displaying rustic charm. Only 2 staff managed our orders of food and wine.

​After long social chit chat at our tables, we headed back to Benalla. Many thanks Carolyn and Garry, for organising this large group outing. I know we all had a very enjoyable day.

Bev Thornell
​

We are into a new year and as new convenors we are excited and a little scared about organising the first outing for the year.

​It is planned for Friday the 21st of February with wine tasting at Taminick Cellars followed by lunch at Mokoan Hub Cafe.

As usual it is planned to meet at the seniors' carpark at 10 am. Lunch is booked for around 12 to 12:30.

We hope to see as many of the regulars as well as lots of new faces. Further detail and reminders will be provided closer to the date.

Garry and Caroline Smith

Following Nicole’s final newsletter report as Convenor of Wine Appreciation last month, our avid photographer Bev Thornell posted on FB that the group had a most enjoyable lunch at the King River Café on Friday 22 November, where Heather Rogers

​....“thanked Nicole for doing such a sterling job of plotting a year of monthly Winery/Cafe outings”.

Following the U3A Benalla Christmas Lunch on Friday 29th November, Bev posted:

“The U3A break up at Euroa’s Seven Creeks Hotel was a great success, thanks to Nicole.
We all enjoyed a 2-course meal (with drinks!) and a lot of socialising.

Wilma Green had organised a lovely card and present for Nicole, on completing her final year as Wine Appreciation Convenor.  As you can see in the photo, Nicole was thrilled with her gorgeous hand-printed silk scarf.

​In 2025, Nicole will be handing the baton to Gary and Carolyn Smith. We are all looking forward to another year of Wining & Dining under their leadership.”

Thank you so much Nicole, for convening the Wine Appreciation Group for the past three years, and thanks also to Bev Thornell, for your atmospheric photographs of Wine Appreciation’s winery visits on Facebook.

​"As our October Wine Appreciation day unfortunately had to be cancelled, Nicole kindly organised a November lunch at King River Cafe in Oxley. Twenty U3A members enjoyed a delicious 2-course, plus coffee, lunch...drinks extra!. The noise level rose in the crowded cafe, as we caught up with members we hadn't seen for two months. On behalf of the Wine Appreciation group, Heather thanked our Convenor, Nicole, for doing such a sterling job of plotting a year of monthly Winery/Cafe outings. 

Sadly, our outing on Friday 18th, our last one for the year, had to be cancelled due to the weather forecast of severe storms.  

So, I have organised lunch at King River Café in Oxley on Friday 22nd November at 1200.  If you haven’t already advised me that you are coming, could you please let me know by Sunday 17th.

We will meet at the Café. 

As you know I have decided to ‘retire’ from Convening this Group.  I have had a great time and enjoyed every one of our outings and being with you all. 

Good news is that we have new Convenors for the Group for 2025.   They are Gary and Carolyn Smith.   Thank you very much both of you for putting your hands up.

​Nicole McFarlane

​Our morning of wine tasting on Friday 20 September was held at Morrisons of Glenrowan, situated on the slopes of the Warby Ranges.  The cellar door is located high on the property, surrounded by a lovely native garden and has magnificent views over the countryside.  It is hard to believe it was once a quarry.     Diane made the first vintage in 1999 and in 2001 both Diane and Bob completed a 12 month wine making course. Their production has increased from 60 litres in 2000 to 8000 litres today.   There are three whites and a Rose, many varieties of reds, a Muscat and Tawny Port.

Both Diane and Bob are welcoming and informative hosts.

After tasting and purchasing many wines, we made our way to the Vintage Hall Café and with 27 in the group we rather took over the café.   The staff are friendly and the food very good.
 
Our October visit on 18th is to Michelini Cellars, 213 Great Alpine Road, Myrtleford.   There is a $10 tasting charge and I would appreciate you having the money to give me when we meet in the carpark because to hold the booking, I have had to pay when confirming the numbers.      We then move onto our favourite place, the King River Café in Oxley.  Lunch is alternate drop main and dessert for $36 including good coffee to finish!!
As this will be our last outing as a group for the year, and my last one as Convenor, I look forward to seeing you all.
 
We will meet in the Seniors car park at 10.00.          RSVP by Sunday 13th October by text to 0428 696 408 or email [email protected].   Until then, stay safe and have fun.
 
The Convenor position is still open.   A little history about this group – it started 25 years ago and has run continuously since (except for Covid).   I really need someone to step up and take it on, two would be good.   It is not hard.  I tend to spend a couple of hours at the end of January researching cellar doors, email them with proposed dates and when that is confirmed contact somewhere local for lunch.    


Nicole McFarlane

​​Our August adventure was to Red Feet Winery in the King Valley.   After battling heavy rain, we arrived at the cellar door situated on the top of a hill with a magnificent view over the valley had it not been raining!!!
 
The winery started in 2010, when Megan and her two brothers started planting three rows of Sangiovese and every year have added a few more.  Currently, they have 1.2 acres of Sangiovese, 0.6 acres of Nebbiolo, a little Tempranillo and Zinfandel.
 
Vince was our host for the day and started us with a lovely Riesling ending with a good Shiraz, having tasted a lot more in between!!   Although the day was cold and wet, the cellar door (a large lined shed) was very comfortable with a lovely log fire.

We followed this by lunching at the Mountain View/Whitfield hotel which, as always, served a delicious lunch.   Again a cosy atmosphere with a log fire and good company making for a very pleasant day.
 
Next month, Friday 20th September, we are off to Morrisons Winery,  30 Kays Lane, Glenrowan, followed by lunch at  the Vintage Hall Café in the main street of Glenrowan.
 
Meeting in the Senior’s Car Park at 1015  -  RSVP to me at [email protected] or text 0428 696 408 by Sunday 16 September.
 
PS. 2025   As much as I have enjoyed convening these outings and spending time with such a great group of people, I am unable to do so next year.  Therefore, I am asking you to consider taking on this position.   It would work well with two people.   Any questions please contact me.   I look forward to being rushed off my feet!!!

​Nicole McFarlane

Friday 19th July saw us trekking to the high country (rugged up) to Delatite Winery at Mansfield.   The new cellar door is architecturally designed and striking with views over the valley and as far as Mt. Buller when there is no mist!  There was a very long list of wines – we had to choose five for tasting, a rather difficult decision.   Our very delightful host, Renata, spoke to us about the wines, how they are grown using biodynamic principles and made with minimal intervention. ​

​We then moved to the Delatite Hotel in Mansfield for a very enjoyable pub lunch.

On Friday 16th August we are off to Red Feet Winery at 49 Cemetery Lane, King Valley.   This will be followed by lunch at the Mountain View Hotel, Whitfield.

Meet in the Seniors Car Park at 10:15 am. Please RSVP by Sunday 11th  August to [email protected] or text to 0428 696 408.


Nicole McFarlane

​On a lovely crisp! sunny Friday in June we ventured forth to the Ovens valley, specifically to the Eagle Range Estate Winery.    Situated on the side of a hill, we had a lovely view over the valley while we enjoyed our tasting.

Our very personable host, Frank, explained how he makes his wines without any additives.  He has different varieties that he grows, two of which are the lesser known Saperavi and Montepulciano, along with Merlot, Cab Sav and Shiraz, the latter two being vegan friendly.  His Riesling was quite unusual and very enjoyable. 

Our next winery visit on Friday 19th July is to Delatite Winery, 390 Pollards Rd, Mansfield with lunch to follow at the Delatite Hotel.

We will meet in the Seniors Car Park at 10.00.     Please let me know by Sunday 14th July if you will be coming, RSVP to [email protected] or text 0428 696 408.

Nicole McFarlane