"Here are my ramblings based on somewhat hazy recollections of yesterday’s end of year lunch at Baileys... Ian"
Blue and green, bright and airy …. and warm. A sunny summer’s afternoon on the tranquil garden lawns of Baileys winery. This carefully kept, tastefully restored late-nineteenth century winery on the western slopes of the Warby Ranges is a real gem of this region.
We were given a tour of some of the property – sincere thanks to our guide Ken Dosser – where the worker’s cottages sparked some family memories amongst the group. Heading over to the forge we passed a curious roofless building, or perhaps an enclosure, with two low doors but nobody knows what it was for. It is starting to intrigue me. The forge itself is home to the largest hand-operated grinding wheel I have ever seen along with the usual, albeit aged, artifacts of a rural station workshop. The Reception Room in the Clydesdale Stables was an innovative modernization with its chandeliers and (imagined) red carpet whilst the cool room was an 18° haven for learning about oval vats and round barrels but especially about their contents.
Sitting in the lovely gardens following our tour we enjoyed totally organic food from the wood-fired pizza oven and many of us (we were 17 happy walkers and friends but without 6 others who were unable to attend) indulged in a glass or two of wine from what is perhaps the largest organic vineyard in the Southern Hemisphere. Friendly staff, good company and engaging conversation are the perfect ingredients for such an entertaining and relaxing lunch. We look forward to more escapes and escapades next year!
Ian Maver
Blue and green, bright and airy …. and warm. A sunny summer’s afternoon on the tranquil garden lawns of Baileys winery. This carefully kept, tastefully restored late-nineteenth century winery on the western slopes of the Warby Ranges is a real gem of this region.
We were given a tour of some of the property – sincere thanks to our guide Ken Dosser – where the worker’s cottages sparked some family memories amongst the group. Heading over to the forge we passed a curious roofless building, or perhaps an enclosure, with two low doors but nobody knows what it was for. It is starting to intrigue me. The forge itself is home to the largest hand-operated grinding wheel I have ever seen along with the usual, albeit aged, artifacts of a rural station workshop. The Reception Room in the Clydesdale Stables was an innovative modernization with its chandeliers and (imagined) red carpet whilst the cool room was an 18° haven for learning about oval vats and round barrels but especially about their contents.
Sitting in the lovely gardens following our tour we enjoyed totally organic food from the wood-fired pizza oven and many of us (we were 17 happy walkers and friends but without 6 others who were unable to attend) indulged in a glass or two of wine from what is perhaps the largest organic vineyard in the Southern Hemisphere. Friendly staff, good company and engaging conversation are the perfect ingredients for such an entertaining and relaxing lunch. We look forward to more escapes and escapades next year!
Ian Maver
Photographs: Andi Stevenson
