Alpine National Park and Wine Country - Brown Brothers Winery

Thursday, March 08, 2018

The objective for the day was to sample some fine Australian wine. Victoria has 21 GI wine regions within which there are 776 wine producers and 526 cellar doors (tasting rooms). We drove much of the day through the King and Alpine Valleys region. A couple of convivial ladies at the tourist information office suggested we make a stop at the Brown Brothers Cellar Door in Milawa. Our taste buds were put to the test there and we were not disappointed as we purchased 4 bottles of wine which we will consume before leaving Australia. Brown Brothers is one of the oldest wineries in Australia being established in 1889 and is still owned by the Brown family. They currently have vineyards in various locations in both Victoria and Tasmania. They do not export to the USA due to the challenges of complying with the rules and regulations of 50 different states. Too bad for us.

Brown Brothers Cellar Door

Our drive from the ocean beaches to the Alpine National Park took us through flatlands which supported grazing, orchards and vineyards to Victoria's highest peak, Mount Bogong (1.986 meters above sea level). There appear to be two or three ski resorts in the Alpine region; however, we did not see any ski slopes but did see a few shops selling ski equipment. The roads in the hills were narrow and not in the best condition. Driving here would be challenging during heavy snows in winter. The area is the greenest we have seen and quite a contrast to the golden valleys in the low country. The entire drive was quite varied which made it an interesting outing. Once again, we spent the night on a sheep station and enjoyed fish and chips at a pub in Mt. Beauty about 12 miles away. We stayed up late watching a video about Ned Kelly, a Victorian bushranger who is legendary in Australia. Horses and cattle theft were among the crimes he allegedly committed.

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kelly-edward-ned-3933