Journey Date: March 2023

Published: April 2023

Every few years my Dad and I do a road trip from Sydney to Melbourne to visit my niece and nephew. We always stop in Rutherglen on the way there and back to break up the journey. Rutherglen has lots of wineries and great restaurants, making it the perfect place to stop for a day or two. Below is some information from the wineries, restaurants and cafes we visited and our accommodation.

Wineries

There are many wineries only a short drive from the centre of Rutherglen. Most are open 7 days a week. Check out the Travel Victoria page for a list of wineries and their opening hours: https://www.travelvictoria.com.au/rutherglen/produce/

All Saints Winery

The cellar door is set within a heritage-listed castle.

It’s about a 10 minute drive from Rutherglen town centre.

Tastings start at $15 for 5 wines and are not refunded if you make a purchase. There are also a couple of restaurants on site.

Open: Cellar door is open daily, 10am to 5pm

Location: 205 All Saints Road, Wahgunyah Victoria 3687

Link: https://www.allsaintswine.com.au/

They welcome walk-in groups of up to 5 people for tastings. Groups of 6 or more should book in advance.

Cofield Wines

Cofield Wines have a wide range of wines including sparkling, white, red and fortifieds. My favourite here was the Sparkling Shiraz Durif. I haven’t seen it anywhere else. It’s around an 8 minute drive from Rutherglen town centre.

Tasting of 4 wines is complimentary. There are also paid tastings available for $10, $20 or $40  for increasingly premium options. Up to $20 of the tasting fee is refundable with purchases over $50. Bookings are required for groups of 8 or more.

Open: Cellar door open Monday to Saturday – 9am to 5pm, Sunday – 10am to 5pm

Location: 341 Distillery Road, Wahgunyah, Victoria 3687

Link: https://www.cofieldwines.com.au/

Previously Cofield Wines was also home to the Pickled Sisters restaurant. They have since moved to Rutherglen’s main street. The onsite restaurant is now Footsteps. See below for more details. They also have an outdoor seating area for enjoying wine by the glass or bottle for purchases from the cellar door.

We didn’t see many of the Cofield wines at the IGA supermarket in town, so it’s worth stocking up at the Cellar Door or joining their wine club.

Restaurants

Footsteps Restaurant

This restaurant has replaced Pickled Sisters at Cofield Wines and it is amazing! They have both indoor and outdoor dining options. We enjoyed our lunch outside to make the most of the warm March weather.

I had the Thyme lemon roasted spatchcock chicken, roasted root vegetables, chicken pan jus followed by the Chocolate and Cofield Muscat mousse dome, chocolate crumb, homemade Cofield Muscat raisin ice cream.

Dad had the Slow braised beef cheek, colcannon mash, seasonal vegetables, finished with rich braising jus followed by the Sticky date and Cofield Topaque pudding, homemade salted caramel ice cream

Naturally they have an excellent wine list.

Open: Daily, 9:30am to 3pm

Location: 341 Distillery Road, Wahgunyah Victoria 3687

Link: https://footstepsatcofield.com.au/caferestaurant/

There is also an option for marquee or lawn dining. There is a different menu for this.

Grace

The food here is amazing! Their duck confit is one of the best in Rutherglen. They just lost out to Pickled Sisters for their cheek of listing fried potatoes on their menu and then garnishing it with a few potato chips. If there’s one thing we take seriously in my family, it’s potatoes.

They also have a very extensive wine list. Most of their wines are from Victoria and most of those are from Rutherglen.

Open:

Friday to Sunday – 12pm to 11pm,

Monday 5pm to 10pm

Location: 84 Main Street, Rutherglen Victoria, 3685

Link: https://www.milkinkitchen.com.au/

You should definitely book ahead. Our first visit here was on a Monday night and we had the option of the final 2 seats inside (side by side looking out the front window) or a table outside. It was a mild evening so we sat outside. We enjoyed dinner at Grace so much we went back a second time later that week. We booked it for Friday after our dinner on Monday and they already had a lot of bookings.

Thousand Pound Wine Bar and Store

Another Rutherglen gem with a comprehensive wine list featuring regional, Australian and international wines. We shared some entrees to make a bit of a tapas platter. We enjoyed

• Chorizo, Octopus and olive skewers with Chimichurri

• Miso glazed eggplant skewers

• Marinated olives

• Skull island prawns with bush tomato and green garlic

Unfortunately they put the prawns down next to me. I mean, right where I could reach them! Once I saw them, any hope of taking photos before eating vanished.  Sorry. We sat down to dinner at 6:30pm and managed to get the very last chorizo and octopus skewer. So if you want to try them (and trust me, you do), maybe order some as soon as you arrive.

I had never heard of Skull Island prawns before. They are tiger prawns from Skull Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in Australia’s Northern Territory region. They are the biggest prawns you can find in Australia. They can be up to 26cms in length and 100 grams.

Open: Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 5pm.

Location: 82 Main Street, Rutherglen 3685

Link: https://www.thousandpound.com.au/

When they say ‘Bookings essential’ they are not kidding. You should definitely book ahead. This place was very popular.

The Other Place

We enjoyed our coffee and toast with local jams in their lovely courtyard.

Open: Daily for breakfast and lunch, 6am to 2pm

Location: 138-140 Main Street, Rutherglen 3685

Link: https://www.explorerutherglen.com.au/listing/the-other-place-rutherglen/

Valentine’s Bakehouse was also very popular. We didn’t get a chance to eat there but we did try their seeded sourdough and it was excellent.

Accommodation

Foundry Cottage

We spent 2 nights in this lovely cottage. It’s decorated in a very cosy country-cottage style and is well-appointed with a coffee machine and breakfast supplies. It’s very welcoming and convenient for self-catering. It’s a short drive from the centre of town.

Location: 13 Hunter Street, 3685 Rutherglen (near the big Wine Bottle)

Link: Booking.com

Poachers Paradise

Or if you want to be walking distance from the Town Centre, check out Poachers Paradise Motel. The rooms are comfortable and spacious and you can take a shortcut through the pub to the main street.

Location: 97 Murray Street, 3685 Rutherglen

Link: Booking.com

Other tips

Groceries

The IGA supermarket on Main Street has a very comprehensive selection of wines, including many from the Rutherglen region. The IGA is open most days from 7:30am, but you can only buy wine after 9am. So if you are planning on stocking up on wine before making an early start, you will need to do your shopping the day before.

Open:

Monday to Wednesday – 7:30am to 7pm

Thursday to Friday – 7:30am to 7:30pm

Saturday – 7:30am to 7pm

Sunday – 8:30am to 6pm

Location: 87- 95 Main street Rutherglen Vic

Link: https://igarutherglen.com.au/

Lolly shop

The Rutherglen Lolly Shop is a great place for buying souvenirs. They have a huge ranges of sweets and chocolates.

Open: Daily from 10am to 4pm (9am to 5pm Wednesdays)

Location: 81 Main Street, Rutherglen

Link: https://www.explorerutherglen.com.au/listing/rutherglen-lolly-shop-rutherglen/

Rutherglen Visitor Information Centre

The Rutherglen Visitor Information Centre is staffed by helpful full time staff and volunteers who can give you advice on events and activities, wineries, restaurants and accommodation. They also sell lots of gourmet gifts and homewares, making it another great option for souvenirs. The centre also offers bike hire.

Open:

Monday to Saturday – 9am to 4:30pm

Sunday – 10am to 4pm

Location: 57 Main Street Rutherglen 3685

Link: https://www.explorerutherglen.com.au/listing/rutherglen-visitor-information-centre-rutherglen/

Stopping along the way

The journey from Sydney to Rutherglen takes around 6 to 7 hours, depending on traffic and how many stops you make. We stopped at Gunning and Gundagai.

Gunning

Gunning has a few options for snacks or lunch. We enjoyed great service and very tasty bacon and egg roll and homemade sausage roll at the Old Hume Café. There are also other cafes and a pub. Gunning has free parking for caravans (max 2 night stay) by the lake.

Old Hume Café

Open: Daily from 10am to 4pm (9am to 5pm Wednesdays)

Location: 78 Yass Street, Gunning, NSW, Australia, New South Wales

Link: https://www.facebook.com/TheOldHumeCafe/

Gundagai

Gundagai has a staffed visitors information centre that help you with tours and attractions. They also sell souvenirs and local wines.  Many of the souvenirs are dog-themed for the nearby Dog on the Tucker Box monument.

Open:

Monday to Friday –  9am to 4:30pm

Saturday to Sunday 9am to 12:30pm and 1pm to 4:30pm

Location: 249 Sheridan Street, Gundagai NSW 2722

Link: https://www.visitgundagai.com.au/visitor-information-centre