Taking Wine To The People
The Sun Herald
Saturday August 6, 1994
THE first Australian winery to win an international gold medal in Vienna back in 1873 now wants to become a market leader in hospitality.
All Saints Estate, in the Albury-Wodonga wine-making region, has just opened $1 million extensions which include a restaurant and cellar door facility and plans to spend another $4.2 million in the next five years.
General manager Dale St George said the company didn't want to be the same as other wineries.
"With the history and tradition that's been established here, we need to be a bit different so our plans include guest-house accommodation, lakes, horse and carriage rides and a working museum," he said.
Founded in 1864 by George Sutherland Smith, All Saints' historic buildings and terrace brasserie are classified by the National Trust. The turret on the castle was copied from the Castle of May, the Queen Mother's residence in Scotland.
The winery had been in the hands of the original owner's family until two years ago when it was bought by the Brown family.
Last November they began a major redevelopment which included the restaurant, ornamental gates and formal gardens to create what Mr St George described as a unique lifestyle experience in wine, food and tourism.
"When I came here from Hamilton Island, where I was general manager, I was terrified to go near a cellar," he said. "I wondered what I should do. How did I hold the glass? I didn't know anything about wines and I consider myself an average person.
"We're trying to take wine back to the people and walking around All Saints they can touch the barrels and see the wine so there's no mystery."
The winery has a huge oak storage area for red and fortified wines and modern equipment is used for production of white wines such as semillon and chardonnay.
© 1994 The Sun Herald
