10 Incredible Things to Do in Rutherglen

For such a small town, Rutherglen is a wine-making giant. But this is not a one-stop, one-drop town. Here are 10 things you should do and know.

The history of the Rutherglen wine region goes back to the late 1850s when Lindsay Brown planted his four-acre vineyard as the Gold Rush drew prospectors to the area. He’s been credited with saying: “Dig gentlemen dig, but no deeper than six inches, for there is more gold to be won from the top six inches than from all of the depths below."

Rutherglen

Thirty years later, Rutherglen was considered a wine power with some of the largest estates in the world. Many are still flourishing today, including Morris, Chambers Rosewood, All Saints Estate, Campbells, and Stanton & Killeen.

But it’s not a one-stop, one-drop town. Here are 10 things you should do in Rutherglen.

1. Try Fortified Wine

Save time to explore the township of Rutherglen where the welcome sign ‘Sydney may have a nice harbour, but Rutherglen has a Great Port’ gives some indication of how proud the region is of its fortified wines.

2. Walk the Main Street

Walk down the iconic Main Street.

A cairn marks the spot where gold was found in the 1860s in what is now Main Street and the town still retains much of its Victorian architecture and outback country town charm. Check out any of the antique and boutique stores before you pop into a café for a spot of lunch.

3. Visit the Rutherglen Wine Experience & Visitor Information Centre

The Rutherglen Wine Experience and Visitor Information Centre, built in 1862 as a drapery, is a great place to start. Chat to any of the local volunteer staff to give you the best advice on what to see and do in the area. They’ll know where to start on your wine tour or the best spot to grab some lunch. You’ll also find an array of local produce, wines and souvenirs.

4. Take a Tour

When you’re looking for a history lesson you can’t go past the Rutherglen Historical Town Guided Tour. An array of Historical Society members will take you on an informative stroll around the town. The tour takes 90 minutes and only costs $10, which includes a tour booklet and a bottle of water.

But if you’d rather go at your own pace, pick up a self-guided historical walking tour brochure. The track includes the 1872 Common School Museum and 1864 St Stephen’s Rectory, as well as several gold-era Victorian pubs.

5. Taste your way through the Corowa Whisky and Chocolate Factory

Wander through this 1920’s renovated flour mill for a taste of crave-inducing organic chocolate and licorice.

The factory resides in a renovated 1920s flour mill. Head through the space on a guided tour, grabbing samples of organic chocolate and licorice created by the sister company Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Next, you’ll head through the whisky distillery. Watch from start to finish the makings of high-quality Australian whisky.

When you’re starting to feel a little peckish, grab a seat in their restaurant and order up an indulgent gourmet meal. Serving breakfast and lunch, no matter what meal it is, you can’t leave without trying their iconic hot chocolate.

6. Ride a Bike

You can also rent bicycles and helmets here to explore the wineries via the Murray to the Mountains rail trail. Choose between the mountain bikes, tandems and e-bikes available. Go through the town in your own pace and explore what Rutherglen has to offer. The rental also includes a map, if you’re going old school.

Do not ride the bikes while under the influence.

7. Visit Gooramadda Olives and Wicked Virgin Boutique Winery

And if you need a break from wine tasting, Gooramadda Olives and Wicked Virgin offer home-grown olives, olive oils and various tapenades just outside of town. Wicked Virgin are also known for their boutique wines, giving tastings for a range of reds, whites and fortified. While at Gooramadda, their signature dish is Morris Muscat Olive Oil Ice Cream, try it if you dare.

8. Eat at Parker Pies

Head to Parker Pies for some amazing, and quite unique, flavours.

Named ‘Australia’s greatest pie shop,’ giving a big reason to head down and try these home-made beauties. With traditional, gourmet and just crazy flavours available, this is for the true blue Aussies.

You’ve got the Chunky Beef, Bacon and Cheese pies and the Emu, Kangaroo and Crocodile pastries. Filled with fresh ingredients, these will bless your taste-buds.

9. Check out Rutherglen’s New-School Winemakers

Rutherglen’s wine region is like none other. These new school wineries are coming up with innovative new wine styles that definitely turn heads. They aren’t just tweaking the classics, they’re blowing them out of the water. Everything is a mix of old and new there. Head along to each vineyard and test the absolute best in reds and whites.

10. Walk to the Big Wine Bottle

Rutherglen’s biggest landmark.

Australia is known for their love of big monuments, from the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour to the Big Prawn in Ballina. But Rutherglen has got one of their own to add to the list, the Big Wine Bottle. Standing at 36 metres tall and only a 15 minute walk from Main Street, this landmark used to be the town’s water tower (since a new reservoir was created in 1945, this became a backup). Have a picnic beneath the bottle and look out onto the vast land ahead.

If you’re planning on spending time in Victoria’s High Country, click here to check out our guide.

There’s a new way to discover the Rutherglen.

Victoria is favoured among Aussies for many reasons – from its cool capital city to its incredible coastline. But the state’s biggest drawcard has to be its famed wine regions, from the Yarra Valley to the Pinot Coast.

Venture a little further and you’ll stumble upon the Rutherglen, home to historic towns and rolling vineyards boasting crisp whites and robust reds. It’s a remarkable region that has been flying relatively under the radar – until now, thanks to a series of new nature trails with a twist.

Introducing the Rutherglen Loops

Sprawling across 48 kilometres in northeast Victoria, the new Rutherglen Loops is a network of tracks connecting the region’s namesake with nearby landmarks like Wahgunyah and Lake Moodemere. Passing through bucolic countryside, the journey offers visitors a fresh perspective on Victoria’s pastoral heartland. But that’s just the beginning.

The Rutherglen Loops trace 48 kilometres of northeast Victoria. (Image: Karen Webb)

Much to the delight of oenophiles, the Rutherglen Loops also incorporate a variety of local wineries and vineyards. In fact, 14 cellar doors feature on its map, transforming this seemingly ordinary series of nature tracks into a dreamy local wine trail. Accessible for both bikers and hikers, the Rutherglen Loops can be enjoyed as a multi-day adventure or broken down into four separate tracks.

The four-kilometre Town Loop winds through Rutherglen’s charming streetscapes and past local coffee shops. It’s perfect for an evening stroll, stopping in at Jones Winery & Vineyard and Anderson Winery along the way.

See the best of the region on a bike. (Image: Karen Webb)

And while the River Loop covers the same distance, it’s geared more towards nature lovers keen to explore the Murray River shoreline. It’s the only track that doesn’t include a winery pit stop, so enjoy it in the morning before checking out the rest of Rutherglen’s offerings.

The Lake Loop can be completed by foot or on wheels. But at 14 kilometres long, it’s more of a trek than a walk, so jump on a bike if you’re short on time. The track makes for a great day out, circling Lake Moodemere and passing Cofield Wines, Dinah Wines, Pfeiffer Wines and Lake Moodemere Estate.

The Lake Loop is great for a hot day. (Image: Karen Webb)

Aptly titled the Wine Loop, the fourth and final track offers an unrivalled wine country experience. The picturesque loop takes visitors to 12 cellar doors across 23 kilometres, from All Saints Estate in Wahgunyah down to Rutherglen’s own Buller Wines. Similar to many of Australia’s great rail trails, it truly showcases the best of the region.

All trails are accessible year-round and feature toilets, water stations and repair posts along the way. Bikes are available for hire at the Visitor Information Centre, which offers onsite parking as well.

Stop in at local wineries along the way. (Image: Karen Webb)