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Food, Travel

Wine by Sam a must visit winery in Seymour

Wine by Sam is a must visit winery in Seymour, with Sam Plunkett one of the finest winemakers in the country. Have you ever travelled up the Hume Highway looking for a winery to stop by and indulge? We highly recommend a visit to Wine by Sam on your tour. It's amazing to see the progress of Wine by Sam in a relatively short period of time as one of the best wineries in Victoria. As Wine by Sam celebrates its seventh year, founders Sam Plunkett and Bronwyn Dunwoodie have proven the once relatively unknown region of Seymour is a big hitter in Australia’s wine industry.

 

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Sam Plunkett is a creative genius and his wines are bold yet elegant.

We were invited along to experience a tour, tasting and a luncheon; the full experience. Since starting Wine by Sam in 2012, Sam and Bronwyn have crushed nearly 6,000 tonnes of fruit from their vineyard in the Strathbogie Ranges and other vineyards across Victoria, equating to around 5.35 million bottles of wine. Prior to making wines under his own label, Sam was a winemaker in the Seymour region for 21 years, and it’s his renowned winemaking skills that resulted in the support of Naked Wines and other local vineyards to get his own label up and running in 2012.

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Quite a line up available on tasting.

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Dining spaces include this unique setting in front of the tanks and winery operations.

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After a 1 1/2 hour trip we were keen for coffee first, and Wine by Sam delivers.

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Platters are first class and we love this kind of dining at a winery; highlighting the local produce.

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Flatbread is next level.

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All my favourites.

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Arancini were exceptional.

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Sam took us on a magical tour, even tasting wines that were in the fermentation stage (it being vintage time). In fact it was good of Sam and Bronwyn to take time out of vintage to engage with us and show us around. Some of Sam's stories on how they gained expensive wine equipment at bargain prices were extraordinary. 

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Sam introduces us to cloudy wine in maturation.

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Despite winning plenty of awards along the way, including the Great Shiraz challenge in 2010, Sam says establishing Wine by Sam is by far his biggest achievement. “I’m incredibly proud that we (Bron and I) just pulled the boots on and got to work,” he says. “Our hard work paid off when we were able to purchase our winery site in 2015 and complete its redevelopment 12 months later, providing more exposure and opportunities for both us and others in the region.”

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For us at The World Loves Melbourne we are amazed at the progress since 2015 at the current winery location in the middle of town (first vintage 2017), as we understand the place was a virtual shell that has been converted into a thriving winery with serious capacity.

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Barrel tasting was joyous with Sam describing the processes and nuances of his winemaking.

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Rich tones of Wine by Sam Shiraz.

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Love the art work on the van.

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Extraordinary 80 year old Tokay; a further treasure at the end of our winery tour.

Having grown up in the Strathbogie Ranges – Sam's father planted the first vines there in 1968 – Sam knows just what the region is capable of and dreams of seeing it get the praise it deserves as an outstanding wine region. “I’m a champion of the diversity and quality of Central Victorian wine. Including Wine by Sam, there are six wineries within 30 minutes of Seymour, all of which are producing top quality drops, including those in the Strathbogie Ranges, Nagambie Lakes, Upper Goulburn and Goulburn Valley regions. “Plus, being only an hour from Melbourne, Wine by Sam may be the only cellar door in Victoria that you can catch the train straight to the door!”

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This Single Vineyard Shiraz hit the high notes.

Wine by Sam is located on the main street of Seymour and is one of a few ‘urban’ wineries and cellar doors in country Victoria. Including a fully functioning winery complete with cellar door and wine bar, Wine by Sam offers wine tastings, tours, light meals and local produce, coffee and regular live music and events.

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Excited about "The Weaver" Project; a special wine in the making.

The building itself is beautiful; a converted warehouse that has been both a textiles weave house and a go cart track, now a stunning winery and feast for the eyes, with visitors able to watch the winemaking in action during vintage (February – March).

The husband and wife team say beyond making quality wines, they’re focused on giving back, supporting other local producers and artists and bringing the community together. We heard stories of the wine community helping each other out and Sam and Bronwyn doing the right thing by growers and others to keep a strong industry.

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“Whether it be through training staff and providing local career opportunities or by providing business confidence in the community and growing tourism in the area, we hope we can in a small way be a catalyst for change and support the thriving country town that is Seymour.”

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Sam’s wines include: The Victorian, which showcases Victorian fruit, winemaking innovation and eclecticism; Stardust and Muscle, a play on the region's shiraz style which has delicate and perfumed fruit (the Stardust) while still being full bodied and structured (the Muscle); The Butterfly Effect, an entry level wine that changes the perception of an affordable drop (just like a butterfly flapping its wings has a big impact, so too does small changes in the winemaking process); and The Halo Effect, a tribute to the Naked Wines’ Angels that made Wine by Sam possible. As well as the outstanding wines there is fresh bread, local cheeses and meats served tapas style, locally roasted coffee and regular music and dinner events.

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Wine by Sam is located at 69 Anzac Avenue Seymour and is open daily 10am-5pm (7pm Fridays). Highly recommended.