As you know, we are avid fans of aaalll things Echuca, Moama, wine and food… We love to explore country Victoria and discover its hidden gems, so when we were invited to visit the stunning property of Silver Spoon Estate in the rolling green hills of the Heathcote region, we absolutely jumped at the opportunity! Silver Spoon Estate is a family owned and operated boutique vineyard, winery and cellar door, named after the now abandoned Silver Spoon Mine, situated on the eastern hillside of the Mount Camel Range. It’s less than 2 hours out of Melbourne, and about an hour away from Echuca - suuuper easy to find, and drive to, all on normal sealed roads.
Arriving at the property, we were greeted by the energetic owners, Peter and Tracie Young. Ever heard the old adage, ‘do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’? Peter and Tracie are the absolute epitome of this… Although currently ‘retired’, Peter and Tracie are working harder than ever before - creating a range of delicious wines; operating their cellar door; running private wine tastings, events, wine appreciation clubs and participating in local festivals, such as the recent Vibes and Vino Music Festival. Sounds exhausting! But spend 5 minutes on their property, and it’s obvious this isn’t ‘work’ to them…. they are absolutely enjoying a life-long passion, and living their dream!
The cellar door itself is rustic, pretty, and operates within the working winery, providing a unique experience into how the wines are made amongst the barrels and tanks. They have a small deck - which they plan to extend soon to be able to accommodate more visitors, and the outdoor tables overlook the picturesque hills. There are plenty of spots for you to wander and set up your own picnic blanket on the grass, so you can settle in for the afternoon to drink, eat and enjoy watching the neighbouring sheep get up to their cheeky antics.
We set ourselves up on their sunny deck, and tucked into a tasting of their wines - from a very easy drinking Cambrian White Viognier that hints at pears and apricots; and their light Quartz Rose which actually tastes like summer in a bottle; through to their bold and hearty ‘Monster’ Shiraz, there was a drop to suit everyone’s tastes and occasions. The lunch was a delicious assortment of local antipasto produce - cheeses, bread, olives, cold meats… and we found each wine we tasted paired well with lunch. Peter showed off his flair for puns with his humorous naming of the wine bottle labels and when we asked him what his favourite wine was, he winced with a wry smile, and replied ‘that’s like choosing a favourite child’. We couldn’t agree more! We had such a hard time picking our favourites too, that we made sure to stock up with several different bottles to take with us to enjoy back at home.
To walk off our lunch, we were spoiled with a tour of their 250 acre property. Driving up the steep hill to the top peak, we parked under a gorgeous tree and wandered around - utterly taken aback by the views… Silver Spoon boasts the highest peak in the area - the hilltop vineyard is situated at 320 metres altitude, so you can imagine how stunning it is to see the entire landscape from up there. They specialise in growing Rhone Valley and Spanish grape varieties, with Shiraz being their predominant variety. The remaining plantings are Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre and Tempranillo varieties, and are separated into 4 vineyards situated on the east and west sides of the Mount Camel range. The land is also home to several certified Aboriginal sacred sites, 400 year old trees and stone quarries – Tracie was quick to point out how proud they are to be the current custodians of the land, and they demonstrate that respect for the environment by being completely off the grid – running their establishment by solar and battery power alone.
All in all, visiting Silver Spoon Estate was a delightful experience and we think it's a perfect way to while away a lazy afternoon in the sunshine. Given its location and proximity to Melbourne and other towns, we recommend to either add this little detour to your itinerary either on your way to, or on your way back home from your weekend getaway; or make it its own destination experience on a full day trip. We promise you won’t be disappointed! Peter and Tracie were so warm and hospitable, and the estate is so lovely and relaxing, it made it hard for us to leave - but knowing we had a couple of bottles of their viognier and rose in the boot of our car, made it a little more bearable!
www.silverspoonestate.com.au
As you know, we are avid fans of aaalll things Echuca, Moama, wine and food… We love to explore country Victoria and discover its hidden gems, so when we were invited to visit the stunning property of Silver Spoon Estate in the rolling green hills of the Heathcote region, we absolutely jumped at the opportunity! Silver Spoon Estate is a family owned and operated boutique vineyard, winery and cellar door, named after the now abandoned Silver Spoon Mine, situated on the eastern hillside of the Mount Camel Range. It’s less than 2 hours out of Melbourne, and about an hour away from Echuca - suuuper easy to find, and drive to, all on normal sealed roads.
Arriving at the property, we were greeted by the energetic owners, Peter and Tracie Young. Ever heard the old adage, ‘do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’? Peter and Tracie are the absolute epitome of this… Although currently ‘retired’, Peter and Tracie are working harder than ever before - creating a range of delicious wines; operating their cellar door; running private wine tastings, events, wine appreciation clubs and participating in local festivals, such as the recent Vibes and Vino Music Festival. Sounds exhausting! But spend 5 minutes on their property, and it’s obvious this isn’t ‘work’ to them…. they are absolutely enjoying a life-long passion, and living their dream!
The cellar door itself is rustic, pretty, and operates within the working winery, providing a unique experience into how the wines are made amongst the barrels and tanks. They have a small deck - which they plan to extend soon to be able to accommodate more visitors, and the outdoor tables overlook the picturesque hills. There are plenty of spots for you to wander and set up your own picnic blanket on the grass, so you can settle in for the afternoon to drink, eat and enjoy watching the neighbouring sheep get up to their cheeky antics.
We set ourselves up on their sunny deck, and tucked into a tasting of their wines - from a very easy drinking Cambrian White Viognier that hints at pears and apricots; and their light Quartz Rose which actually tastes like summer in a bottle; through to their bold and hearty ‘Monster’ Shiraz, there was a drop to suit everyone’s tastes and occasions. The lunch was a delicious assortment of local antipasto produce - cheeses, bread, olives, cold meats… and we found each wine we tasted paired well with lunch. Peter showed off his flair for puns with his humorous naming of the wine bottle labels and when we asked him what his favourite wine was, he winced with a wry smile, and replied ‘that’s like choosing a favourite child’. We couldn’t agree more! We had such a hard time picking our favourites too, that we made sure to stock up with several different bottles to take with us to enjoy back at home.
To walk off our lunch, we were spoiled with a tour of their 250 acre property. Driving up the steep hill to the top peak, we parked under a gorgeous tree and wandered around - utterly taken aback by the views… Silver Spoon boasts the highest peak in the area - the hilltop vineyard is situated at 320 metres altitude, so you can imagine how stunning it is to see the entire landscape from up there. They specialise in growing Rhone Valley and Spanish grape varieties, with Shiraz being their predominant variety. The remaining plantings are Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre and Tempranillo varieties, and are separated into 4 vineyards situated on the east and west sides of the Mount Camel range. The land is also home to several certified Aboriginal sacred sites, 400 year old trees and stone quarries – Tracie was quick to point out how proud they are to be the current custodians of the land, and they demonstrate that respect for the environment by being completely off the grid – running their establishment by solar and battery power alone.
All in all, visiting Silver Spoon Estate was a delightful experience and we think it's a perfect way to while away a lazy afternoon in the sunshine. Given its location and proximity to Melbourne and other towns, we recommend to either add this little detour to your itinerary either on your way to, or on your way back home from your weekend getaway; or make it its own destination experience on a full day trip. We promise you won’t be disappointed! Peter and Tracie were so warm and hospitable, and the estate is so lovely and relaxing, it made it hard for us to leave - but knowing we had a couple of bottles of their viognier and rose in the boot of our car, made it a little more bearable!
www.silverspoonestate.com.au
