Rutherglen Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night
Five Rutherglen wineries where you can sleep on the property, from vineyard cabins and a lake house to bell tents at the winery.
The short version
- Five Rutherglen wineries have somewhere to sleep on their own land.
- Four are in and around Rutherglen, and Cofield is at Wahgunyah.
- Lake Moodemere's Lake House takes no pets; Cofield's tents are for four or more, by enquiry.
- Lake Moodemere's cellar door closes on Wednesdays, so check the days before you book.
Rutherglen is fortified wine country, and most of its cellar doors sit on quiet roads a few minutes out of town. Five of them let you stay on the property, from a tiny house for two on the vines to rooms in an 1886 cellar building in the middle of town. Every stay below is described in the venue's own words.
The Short Version
- Five Rutherglen wineries have somewhere to sleep on their own land, from a tiny house for two to rooms in an 1886 cellar building.
- Four are in and around Rutherglen itself, and one, Cofield, is at Wahgunyah.
- Pets are not permitted at Lake Moodemere's Lake House, and Cofield's bell tents are a package for four or more, by enquiry.
Three of the cellar doors open every day; Lake Moodemere closes on Wednesdays. Here they are, starting in town.
In and around Rutherglen
All 5 are in the free Jedhi app. Mapped, and you can filter for Accommodation anywhere in the country, so the next weekend away starts with a map instead of 5 open tabs. Free on iPhone and Android.
1) Buller Wines (Rutherglen), cabins among the vines
“Nestled among the Calliope Vineyard sits one of Rutherglen's newest accommodations.” Each of Buller's Vineyard View Cabins has “1 Queen bed / 1 bath”, a private porch with vineyard and garden views, and a kitchenette; “Cabin 2 is fully accessible”. There is a communal barbecue area, and a light breakfast can be added. The Cellar & Distillery Door opens Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
2) De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate (Rutherglen), rooms in an 1886 cellar building
De Bortoli's Rutherglen building “was originally built as cellars in 1886”, and “today it is home to our Rutherglen Estate Cellar Door, and also Tuileries Restaurant, boutique accommodation and conference facility.” “Our Vineyard View rooms are spacious, featuring a comfortable sitting area, modern bathrooms and verandah overlooking our vineyard and gardens.” There are also Superior Vineyard View rooms with a premium king bed, two-bedroom units, and a family room with a king bed and two singles. The cellar door opens daily, 10am to 5.30pm.
3) Jones Winery & Vineyard (Rutherglen), a tiny house on the vines
In their words: “For a longer foray into Rutherglen's food and wine culture, stay in the Jones Tiny House, overlooking the vineyard.” It is booked through Airbnb, where it is listed for two guests. Check the cellar door's days before you go, as it does not open every day.
4) Lake Moodemere Estate (Rutherglen), a lake house and two villas
“Welcome to the Moodemere Lake House, our exclusively private, fully self contained villa and the ultimate winery getaway.” “A short walk along the bank of Lake Moodemere and the vineyard leads to the cellar door where guests may enjoy a relaxed lunch and private wine tasting.” Pets are not permitted at the Lake House, because it sits so close to the Moodemere Reserve. There are also two Moodemere Vineyard Villas, one with a master bedroom and one with “two master bedrooms, each with its own spacious walk-in robe and lavish ensuite bathroom”. The cellar door opens 9am to 5pm on weekends and 9.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays, and is closed on Wednesdays.
Wahgunyah
5) Cofield Wines (Wahgunyah), bell tents at the winery
“We’ve teamed up with Luxe Camp Co to create a brand new overnight winery experience at Cofield Wines.” Cofield Under Canvas puts “luxe bell tent accommodation set up right here at the winery”, with a two-course lunch at Quartz Cuisine, a tasting at the cellar door and a bottle to take away. The introductory price is $250 per person, with a “Minimum booking of 4 people (2 bell tents)”, and bookings are by enquiry and depend on the weather. The cellar door opens Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and Sunday, 11am to 4pm, and “Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome.”
The Cheat Code: How to Plan a Rutherglen Stay
Rutherglen's five stays are nothing alike: a cabin, a room in a historic cellar building, a tiny house, a lake house and a bell tent. Pick the stay for the group first, then plan the tastings around it.
Book in this order:
- Match the stay to the group. Couples fit a Buller cabin, the Jones Tiny House or the Lake House; families fit De Bortoli's family room or two-bedroom units; groups of four or more fit Cofield's bell tents.
- Check the days. Buller, De Bortoli and Cofield open every day; Lake Moodemere is closed on Wednesdays.
- Make the estate you sleep at the last tasting of the day, so the final stop is the one you can walk home from.
Two things people get wrong:
- Bringing the dog to the Lake House. Pets are not permitted there.
- Treating Cofield's tents as a campsite. It is a package with lunch and a tasting, for four or more, booked by enquiry.
Pick the stay, then let the app line up everything around it. Jedhi has Rutherglen mapped, cellar door by cellar door, so you can see which ones are open on the days you are actually there.
More wine-country stays: Mornington Peninsula Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Yarra Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Hunter Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Margaret River Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Orange Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Granite Belt Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night, Mudgee Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night and Dog-Friendly Wineries in Victoria, and Barossa Valley Wineries Where You Can Stay the Night.