Keayang Maar

Dixie, about two-and-a-half hours southwest of Melbourne, is a community of mostly dairy farmers. Breaking the mould somewhat is retired dairy farmer Barry Wurlod and his wife, Bernadette, who gave up milking in '05 and, after three years spent indulging their hobbies and travelling around Europe, planted grapevines on their property on the edge of the Keayang Maar volcanic crater. Today, Barry and their son Jerram Wurlod make the wines (approximately 950 cases per year) onsite, mostly from estate-grown shiraz, pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and pinot gris, plus a small amount sourced from Geelong. As well as a cellar door serving wine, snacks and pizzas all day, Keayang Maar host a range of functions, including weddings, and they also offer a bottle-return scheme through their locals-only wine club. Approximately 8000 bottles have been reused since the cellar door opened in '20, through the winery, wholesale and wine club customers. -ANNA WEBSTER