When Russell and Jan McGlashan first established this estate back in 1995, they didn't have the intention of turning it into a full-blown enterprise. At the time, it was simply a council requirement that those buying large swaths of land in the region for building a home must add agriculture to the property.
However, after local winemaker Robin Brockett got a taste of some of the drops cultivated from the estate's vineyard, the McGlashan's were told it was too good to keep to themselves. The wines have gone on to win multiple awards, and the winery was recognised with a five-star rating in the James Halliday Wine Companion.
After raking in accolades like that, it's reasonable to stop while you're ahead – but when daughters Maddy and Jaimie McGlashan recently took the reigns, they decided to throw their hats into the beer and spirits ring. And to pay homage to the dogs that call the property home, the brand was named FarmDog.
Each product has the silhouette of one of the farm's dogs on it, with tasting descriptors like "bold but playful, like a sausage dog in a puffer vest." The gin offerings are perhaps where things get most interesting, with offerings like a pandan gin that captures the vanilla, coconut and grassy flavour of the Southeast Asian plant, as well as a Christmas gin that tastes like a hybrid of holiday pudding and pumpkin pie.
You can visit the cellar door for a taste of the wines, beers and gins on Thursdays through Sundays from 11am to 5pm and until late on Friday nights. And if you can't be bothered organising a designated driver, you can stay in one of the property's four eco-villas and catch the sun rising and setting over the sprawling vineyards.
