A New Chapter in an Old Story: Tahbilk’s Cellar Door Retail Space
Step into Tahbilk’s Cellar Door today and you’ll feel something remarkable—where the past and present stand shoulder to shoulder. Our newest chapter begins with the opening of a refreshed retail space, a place where the estate’s rich history and contemporary spirit meet. But to truly appreciate this new beginning, it helps to look back at the foundations on which it rests.
The Original Winery: Fronting the River
In the earliest days, long before visitors arrived for tastings and tours, the original winery stood as the estate’s beating heart. “Fronting the river,” the building stretched some 250 feet (about 76 metres) in length, a commanding structure made of brick from our very own kilns. Beneath the earth lay an underground cellar, cool and constant, where the wine rested. Above it, a wine store at ground level and a loft where the freshly harvested grapes underwent their first transformation.
Running at right angles, a second cellar cut nearly 200 feet (around 61 metres) under the courtyard and surrounding ground, its vastness capable of holding 150,000 gallons (about 681,000 litres) of wine. Within these immense cellars, casks and vats—some holding 250 gallons (1,135 litres), others up to 1,400 gallons (6,365 litres)—sheltered the treasures of the vineyard: Riesling, Verdelho, Pedro Ximénez, Muscat, Burgundy, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Hermitage, Port, and Chasselas. Wine was sampled in the simplest of ways: a clear glass tube drawing up a taste of the vintage in its purest form.
Emerging from that cool dimness into the Nagambie sunlight, visitors once found themselves among avenues of white mulberries, stables of sleek working horses, and carefully tended paddocks. A working estate, alive with craft, care, and quiet pride.
The Story Continues
More than 160 years later, the soul of that place still lingers in every corner of Tahbilk. Our heritage buildings remain, still fronting the river, their walls bearing witness to generations of winemaking. And now, within this historic fabric, we open a new space designed for today’s visitors.
The refreshed retail area is more than shelves and bottles—it is an invitation. Here you can browse wines shaped in the silence of those very underground cellars, discover gifts that carry a piece of Tahbilk’s story home with you, and pause to take in the estate’s blend of past and present.
A Place to Explore, A Place to Belong
We’ve designed the space to feel like an extension of the journey: from the vineyard to the cellar, from the glass to your table. Every detail nods to the traditions that built Tahbilk, while welcoming in the energy of the here and now.
This is not just retail—it’s part of our story. A story that began with a riverfront winery and stretches forward with every bottle, every visitor, every shared memory.
The new retail space at Tahbilk Cellar Door will be opening soon—date to be announced. We invite you to come and experience it for yourself.
