Wine lovers who want to take their hobby to the next level or create a new lifestyle could find themselves at home in Central Tilba.
Tilba Valley Wines is for sale and the 40-year-old business has everything in place for a new owner to take it to the next level.
The 11-hectare property is located in the picturesque Tilba Valley on the foothills of Gulaga (Mount Dromedary), overlooking the backwaters of Corunna Lake.
It enjoys a northerly aspect and the property slopes gently down to the lakeside. The property is about four kilometres from the National Trust village of Tilba and 12 kilometres from Narooma.
Englishman Peter Herrmann, who was on a holiday to Australia in 2001, bought the winery after a chance drive down a remote gravel road.
“I’d made a few amateur wines, but I didn’t have any real background – I just surrounded myself with experts,” he says.
“I did have some experience in the kitchen and took it upon myself to develop that side.”
The restaurant’s European and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine has since established itself as a lunchtime favourite among locals and visitors.
The winery building incorporates a cellar door facility and a large function room as well as modern winemaking equipment and two cellars. The winery has a fermentation capacity of some 15,000 litres. It produces about 600 cases of wine per annum, almost all of which is sold at the cellar door.
There is a four-bedroom residence on the property with a deck that captures views over the vineyard and Corunna lake. That’s complemented by a three-bedroom manager’s residence.
Herrmann says the winery has massive potential for a new owner.
“The function side of the business could be scaled up to attract more catered events like conferences weddings and corporate seminars,” he says.
“The winery could double production from its current 7000-8000 bottles per annum by simply buying in more grapes from local producers.”
Herrmann also believes camping grounds could provide another income stream.
If a full-scale winery is too much, then another Central Tilba property may suit. Up for sale is the Tilba Teapot Café with attached one-bedroom residence.
Built in 1895, it’s set on a 567-square-metre block and comprises a large restaurant/coffee shop space, kitchen, storeroom and back verandah, along with the adjoining residence.
It’s currently occupied on a three-year lease with a three-year option.
