Sitting, sipping, supping. Here at Shaw Wines in Murrumbateman, I've come for a tasting, but the views out the large glass windows and the platter of nibbles on the table are both turning out to be just as important.
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"We're not a sales place, we're an experience place," cellar door manager, Evelyn Everson, tells me, validating the approach I've decided to take.
That balance between sales and experience is one that every winery has to strike as wine tastings have become a more popular tourism product over the years. But here around Murrumbateman, in the heart of the Canberra Wine Region, it's particularly pertinent. Word has got around about the quality of these cool-climate varieties and there's a lot more interest - to give you an idea: before the pandemic only about 20 per cent of visitors were from Sydney, while now it's about 50 per cent. But they're not just coming to buy. They're also coming to experience.
The wine tasting here at Shaw doesn't feel rushed. Sitting in a comfortable chair at a table by the window, I get the sense I can take my time, which is exactly what many people are looking for. The tasting costs $10 and you'll get to try seven wines, starting with a citrusy prosecco, then the region's most important varietals - a riesling and a shiraz - before finishing with the flagship cabernet sauvignon, which boasts an intense nose and spicy palate.
![Enjoying the surrounds of Shaw Wines. Picture Destination NSW Enjoying the surrounds of Shaw Wines. Picture Destination NSW](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/9a728067-b2de-4e39-aee0-2a19cdebe925.jpg/r0_336_6582_4051_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
If any of the wines take your fancy, you'll get the tasting fee refunded when you buy a bottle. While there are lots of people who do that, Evelyn has noticed that groups who come in on a Saturday are now less likely to buy bottles than previously, probably partly due to cost-of-living pressures.
"They pay their $10 tasting fee, they have a drink and a half, they have a nice time with friends having a chat and a catch up, then they eat at the restaurant or go to another winery and do the same thing."
![Shaw's award-winning range. Picture Destination NSW Shaw's award-winning range. Picture Destination NSW](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/2106e286-65de-46bb-8da8-00eff77cbb3c.jpg/r0_336_6582_4051_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's one of the things that's changing here in Murrumbateman. The region has not traditionally been seen as somewhere you would go for a whole day of wine tasting in the way that you would in the Hunter Valley or Barossa. But there are now about a dozen tour operators that offer that experience, with vehicles ranging from minivans for small groups, down to sedans for a couple. Especially for Canberrans who might not want to delegate a designated driver, it's a fun option for a day out.
If the weather is behaving, there's another way to get between the wineries - with Canberra Region E-Bike Tours, based in Murrumbateman. These electric bikes can reach a speed of up to 25km/h, transporting you (relatively) effortlessly from tasting to tasting.
![Aa bottle of Clonakilla shiraz to go. Picture Destination NSW Aa bottle of Clonakilla shiraz to go. Picture Destination NSW](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/6feb12ff-b8bb-4aff-a375-80b882a7b80e.jpg/r0_0_4380_6570_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Choose the self-guided option and you can go wherever you like, although there is a recommended route that's about 20 kilometres long with a designated cycle path for much of the way. It includes the region's best-known winery, Clonakilla, as well as McKellar Ridge Wine, Murrumbateman Winery, and Dionysus Winery. You can also stop at Four Winds Vineyard, where the pizza menu has some great choices for lunch.
Unfortunately, if you don't feel like pizza, your options are somewhat limited. As Evelyn explains to me, "Murrumbateman has the biggest cluster of wineries around here, but there aren't a lot of eateries."
There's the pub in town, the Country Inn, that offers a typical bistro menu and a friendly atmosphere. Or there's Olleyville, the more upmarket restaurant at Shaw Wines. The food at Olleyville is excellent, especially considering its affordable price, but I regret going for dinner rather than lunch because it seems to lose a bit of its country ambience in the dark.
![Handmade treats from Murrumbateman Chocolate Co. Picture Destination NSW Handmade treats from Murrumbateman Chocolate Co. Picture Destination NSW](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/65fbaa76-4e24-4da6-a935-e663971eb755.jpg/r0_147_8256_5504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Do you think you could have chocolate for lunch? Probably not, but one food producer that can't go unmentioned is the Murrumbateman Chocolate Co, about five minutes' drive from the centre of town.
Previously known as Robyn Rowe Chocolates, it's now owned by Yasmin Coe of Canberra's Sweet Pea & Poppy. All the chocolate is handmade on site and showcases local and Indigenous flavours, like wattle seed or muscat from the Clonakilla winery. My favourite one I try (and apparently renowned in the area) is the coconut lime truffle topped with coconut flakes. With other sweet treats and great coffee, along with a welcoming deck and lawn spreading down to a lake, this is the perfect spot for morning or afternoon tea.
As it turns out, you can easily spend more than a day in Murrumbateman, and it makes a delightful destination for a weekend escape. Until recently, a lack of accommodation generally forced visitors to do it just as a day trip from Canberra or as a detour on a longer road trip into the Riverina.
![Abode Murrumbateman's interiors are modern and sleek. Picture Destination NSW Abode Murrumbateman's interiors are modern and sleek. Picture Destination NSW](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/Z4Q6sUEHdcmw72MBPYgZkU/3a77cf84-d32e-4a61-8257-7e976ea9e076.jpg/r276_374_7319_4879_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
However, the Canberra hotel brand Abode has expanded into the town and now has 50 modern and stylish rooms, including accessible and pet-friendly choices. The communal lounge and kitchen area provide a comfortable spot to sit by the fire in the evening with some food and perhaps open that bottle of wine you picked up earlier in the day.
Things certainly are changing here in Murrumbateman, albeit at a country pace. Even at Shaw Wines, you'll soon notice things are different, with new owners taking over at the end of this month. I've been assured there won't be any major disruptions, but you should expect expanded opportunities for eating and drinking. And, of course, ways to take your time over both... because it's all about the experience, not the sales, right?
- You can see more on Michael's Travel Australia Today website.