Warrabilla Wines

05/06/2026

We're not saying footgolf is better than 'real' golf, but there are advantages to having your hands free...

05/06/2026

Grey skies are gonna clear up...

It has been a wet week here in Rutherglen, but the forecast is clearing beautifully for Roam Rutherglen this weekend.

We have plenty happening at Warrabilla -

🍷Our full range of wines available tasting including exciting new releases, award winning whites, reds and fortifieds. Smithy's VIP area also includes the famed Parola's releases, and our new release Smith & Banks label.

🍔Warming American BBQ from 'Grill On The Road'. Pulled pork rolls, kransky, loaded fries and more.

🎤Live music with local legends JI Music and Toby Mobbs Music performing from 11.30-3.30 daily.

🍯Tasty home made jams, preserves, chutneys and more to sample and purchase from The Brimin Pantry

⚽️ Try your hand...or rather foot...at Footgolf. Compete for glory on our three hole course, with thanks to the team from Boorhaman Golf Club - Foot Golf

We hope to see you in Rutherglen over the King's Birthday Weekend.

20/05/2026

Our dance card is filling up quickly at the moment!

Smithy and Amy are in Melbourne this week for another 'sold out tour' at the sublime Centonove.

Next week Amy will be heading south again for the Good Food & Wine Show at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (29-31 May). We do have a handful of complimentary tickets available to Warrabilla Wine Club members - drop us a message if you would like to attend.

On Friday 29th May Smithy will be staying closer to home to join our friends from The Victoria Hotel Rutherglen as part of Rutherglen Re-Imagined - a celebration of all things Rutherglen, bringing together 20 uber-local food and wine producers for a night of bold flavours, fun people and cool tunes. We cannot wait, tickets may still be available at Explore Rutherglen if you are quick.

And then the following week we have the mayhem and the magic of Roam Rutherglen to look forward to, which we are absolutely prepared for😳. OK, we will be prepared for.

It can't all be about making the wine. Sometimes it has to be about sharing the wine!

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

It started innocently enough.

A chilly autumn day sparked a light hearted conversation as to what constitutes a good home made sausage roll. Handy tips and advice, that special ingredient that nan used to include. Good, wholesome winery banter.

But left unchecked we know how these things go.

Cracks soon started to appear in once cordial relations, heated discussions about vegetable content, cellar divides over meat ratios and virtue signalling about homemade puff pastry. Voices began to strain, fingers were pointed, traditional family recipes were derided and if we're being honest, lines were crossed. As David Gray opines in This Year's Love, 'heart's get torn when that hurt gets thrown'.

And so, to avoid the winery being completely torn asunder by a savoury baked good we were left with only one option - the first annual Warrabilla Wines Bit Of A Sausage Fest.

One entry per person.
Wine show conditions.
A blind tasting.
No condiments.
Judges decision final.

🍷 Barry had scale on his side, a girthy number that got bonus points for incorporating Rutherglen Muscat into the mix

🦌 David's Myrrhee Valley mystery bag was a home grown affair with venison from the long paddock, and his own apples and fresh chilli playing a part.

🍄‍🟫Deb's vegan offering saw mushroom and pine nuts doing the heavy lifting. A great effort, and naturally, all of the expected mushroom jokes were made.

🐷 Fierce competitor Stacey offered up a well presented, compact entry. An old school affair with pleasing porkiness.

🪴 Dark horse Rob surprised with a lovely aromatic little number. Well seasoned with good use of herbs.

🇮🇹 Lennie offered up a tasty little slice of Italy . Pork, pancetta, sage and apple. The spelt pastry was a nice touch, though left some traditionalists aghast.

🥓 Peta's was all about the presentation - a great home made pastry, with Murray River Smokehouse bacon the hero ingredient. A heavy hitter in a petite package.

👩‍🍳Laura's was a traditional masterpiece. Perfectly porky with high fat content, though murmurings of commercial collusion rippled through the judging panel.

🐔 Amy's much vaunted proprietary mince mix lived up to the hype. High veg content, with a little chicken mince to lighten the affair.

🍰 Emma wisely side-stepped the whole shemozzle and brought a cake.

After judges points were tallied, and all of the obligatory recounts had taken place, we were faced with a three way tie between Peta, Laura and Amy. Selflessly, Smithy offered himself up to judge another round of each, with Amy being judged the eventual winner.

Family hands on the scales? Nepotism in the workplace? Daddy's favourite? Absolutely, but nevertheless it was an all time great sausage roll - well done Amy 🙌

Now let us put all of this behind us and never speak of it again. Though have I told you about the secret ingredient in my leek and potato soup???

27/04/2026

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

Our new release Smith & Banks is now available. The best parcel of fruit from the outstanding 2024 vintage, individually numbered, and ready to fill a place in your cellar for the next 15 years or so. A fitting tribute to mark 160 years and six generations of family winemaking in Rutherglen.

Whilst there is not sufficient volume to offer at Cellar Door, to mark the release we will have the 2024 Smith & Banks available for tasting all of this week (until Sunday 3rd May).

https://warrabillawines.com.au/product/2024-smith-and-banks

16/04/2026

Some things are worth the wait...

The story has been 160 years in the making and now our new release 'Smith & Banks' is almost here. Warrabilla Wine Club members can look forward to a release email in coming days.

From the remarkable 2024 vintage; a fitting wine to mark 160 years and 6 generations of Sutherland Smith family winemaking in Rutherglen.

Winemakers of Rutherglen

17/03/2026

To be perfectly honest vintage '26 hasn't given us much to talk about to this point in time. We are running a number of weeks behind our typical picking dates and the late rain has us all a little on edge.

But a new variety is always cause for excitement in the cellar! We will keep it under wraps for now, but it certainly has Warrabilla colour!

06/03/2026

What's on at Warrabilla this weekend?

The incredible The Pickled Sisters Cafe + Restaurant are joining us all weekend to serve up perfectly paired dishes for Tastes Of Rutherglen.

🍴 Hot smoked salmon on a potato and chive rosti with horseradish, pea mint and pickled lemon salad.
🍷 2025 Small Batch Fiano

🍴 Durif and juniper braised venison, pancetta and spring onion skirlie, blueberry and thyme chutney.
🍷2024 Reserve Durif

🍴 Black Forest Cranachan, black cherries, flaked almonds, toasted oats, double cream and dark chocolate ganache.
🍷 Chilled Classic Rutherglen Muscat

Live music by the vines, with local talents JI Music joining us Saturday and Toby Mobbs Music Sunday.

Have you missed our Malbec? The 2025 Reserve Malbec has been released just in time for Tastes of Rutherglen, and available for tasting and sale all weekend, alongside a host of award winning whites, reds and fortifieds.

Smithy's Vintage Tours - go behind the scenes with the man himself, and see first hand how wine is made at Warrabilla. Complimentary with two tours daily at 11am and 3pm.

Old school picnic games including petanque, co****le and quoits.

We hope to see you over the long weekend - open daily from 10am

Winemakers of Rutherglen

24/02/2026

We take our Tastes of Rutherglen menu seriously at Warrabilla!

Great to catch up with chef Stewart and Marion from The Pickled Sisters Cafe + Restaurant today and fine tune the menu pairings ahead of the long weekend. We asked Steward to lean into his Scottish roots for this year's menu and he has not disappointed!

Hot Smoked Salmon on a potato and chive rösti, horseradish crème fraiche, with a pea, mint and pickled lemon salad. Served with a glass of our trophy winning 2025 Small Batch Fiano.

Durif & Juniper Slow Braised Venison, pancetta and spring onion skirlie, heirloom beetroot, blueberry and thyme chutney. Served with a glass of gold medal 2024 Reserve Durif.

Black Forest Cranachan - a Scottish classic with a twist. Black cherries, flaked almonds, toasted oats, double cream and dark chocolate ganache. Served with a glass of chilled Classic Rutherglen Muscat.

And the verdict? All outstanding of course, but on a steamy day in Rutherglen the hot smoked salmon and Fiano was sublime!