Shaw Estate Restaurant is the ideal spot for a slow meal accompanied by diverse and curated wines. Photo: Ashley St George, Pew Pew Studio.
There’s nothing new about Murrumbateman’s status as a top destination for food and wine experiences, but if the region’s recent awards sweep is anything to go by, the region is really hitting its stride.
Be it a day trip or a weekender, Murrumbateman offers more than enough experiences to fill your days and Yasmin Coe, owner of Murrumbateman Chocolate Co and director of Destination Southern NSW says the experiences on offer in the region are one-of-a-kind.
“Our offering is unique. We have a collective of businesses located in close proximity who work collaboratively to deliver immersive experiences,” she says.
A range of those immersive experiences were recently recognised in the Canberra Region Tourism Awards for their dedication to the region’s tourism and that makes them a great place to start planning a Murrumbateman getaway. The only question you’ll be left with is whether to kick off with chocolate, wine, pizza or fine dining?
If you’re hitting Murrumbatemen in the morning then chocolate and coffee would be an advisable beginning to a day that you’re aiming to complete without a hangover and Yasmin offers just that on a secluded slice of land on Nanima Road.
Yasmin Coe is building her name in chocolate with local flavour collaborations. Photo: Supplied.
Murrumbateman Chocolate Co is a quaint little coffee shop that’s packed to the brim with artisan chocolates and they didn’t win the Excellence in Tourism Award by accident. Yasmin has grown this business into an all-encompassing journey of the region’s flavours by incorporating Murrumbateman produce into her chocolates.
Her ever-changing chocolate menu features flavours like sticky riesling gin using wine from Tallagandra Hill Wines and fig and vanilla, using produce from a Yass Valley orchard.
You can often see the chocolates being produced right onsite as you immerse yourself in the hobby-farm environment of Yasmin’s property and the gift shop will allow you to stock up on chocolates for the road and presents for the family.
One needs little excuse to hit a winery prior to lunchtime, but if you’d like to soak up your first wine tasting of the day with some sustenance, then the nearby Four Winds Vineyard is your next stop.
These guys have become an established favourite in the area, but just like a fine wine, they have only been getting better with age.
That progression saw them land a spot this year in the top 15 per cent of wineries Australia-wide according to wine reviewers, The Real Review. Their wine-making skills were also recognised with dual trophy wins at the prestigious 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, further cementing the Four Winds name in the region.
Their award-winning wines are as good a reason as any to stop here, but their real strength as a destination is in their large outdoor pergola, where you can grab a wood-fired pizza and enjoy views across this 14 ha vineyard.
Enjoy a pizza lunch at Four Winds. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
One of the newest offerings in the region and one that has quickly built a solid reputation for its restaurant is Shaw Estate.
Opening in March this year, Shaw opened in the wake of the closure of Olleyville Estate and it’s crafting a refined dining experience that saw it win the Canberra Region Tourism Award for best new business.
With a sleek fit-out of textural neutral tones, Shaw Estate brings some hotel-style glam thanks to its management group DOMA, which is best known for its hotels, while Canberra chef Adam Hazelton, formerly of Miss Van’s, ensures seasonal produce with flavours inspired by the Mediterranean are at the forefront.
The expertly curated wine list not only encompasses wine produced by Shaw Estate themselves but also wines from around the Canberra region as well as national and international labels, making it the ideal spot for a slow meal accompanied by diverse and curated wines.
Shaw Estate Restaurant. Photo: Ashley St George, Pew Pew Studio.
In her role as unofficial spokesperson for the Makers of Murrumbateman collective, Yasmin says Murrumbateman producers are striving for exceptional visitor experiences and encourages people to get out and visit a wide range of wineries and producers across the region, as they all bring their own unique take to the food and wine scene in the area.
With new openings, rolling accolades and old faves that just get better each year, it’s been a big year for the region, so where did you land on the big question? Will it be chocolate, pizza, wine, fine dining or all of the above?
You can find out more about the producers in the Murrumbateman region and plan your visit at the Makers of Murrumbateman website.
