The birthplace of Mildura's Wine Industry, and the end of the Chaffey Trail for us.

Quiet day today - lots of relaxing! - very nice! :)

We did venture out for a little sojourn, making our last tour of Mildura before we get back on the road tomorrow. We finished following The Chaffey Trail, which we started earlier in the week, by seeing where the Chaffey brothers began their farming, taking advantage of their successful irrigation system that Mildura was established on.

We called into the historical winery, Chateau Mildura, where the Chaffey Brothers planted 150 acres of wine grapes on their Belar Avenue property in 1888, commencing the region's wine industry.
WB Chaffey also established a distillery/winery in Merbein, 8kms downriver from Mildura, in 1913 and sadly this is where he collapsed and died in 1926.

Chateau Mildura is just as it was in the Chaffey brothers' day, and while it looks old, its rustic charm emphasises the unique piece of Australia's wine history it represents.

The first vintage in 1891 was produced in primitive conditions but by 1892 the modern brick cellars had been built. The winery was part of Victoria's table wine boom of the late 1800's and also of its crash after Federation in 1901. It survived by becoming part of Mildura Wines Pty Ltd in 1910 and producing Brandy and fortified spirit.

In 1955 its Brandy era finished with the Port Stills being moved to the Company's (now Mildura Wines) other winery at Merbein. Chateau Mildura then became the production centre for Mildura's famed and award winning Sherry range until production ceased in 1996. Its use then was the storing and maturing of wines until its sale in 2002.

Chateau Mildura, purchased by horticulturist Lance Milne in 2002, is now home of Psyche Wines Pty Ltd. The historic Winery has been taken back to its origins and is producing wine again after 100years with the launch of the 2005 Psyche Wine ranges.

The Cellar Door

How the Psyche Wines acquired their names................

Chateau Mildura timeline

The Chaffeys also dabbled in Olive Oil at their Renmark property, Oliveholme
Olive Oil production is another Mildura industry