locale
lo·cale | \ lō-ˈkal
noun:/ a place or locality where something happens or is set, or that has particular events associated with it.
Similar: place, site, spot, area, position.
Going Up The Country ... Stars & Bars Festival Heathcote brings together an assemblage of amazingly talented artists with some unique Central Victorian Goldfields locales; combined with an exploration of the finest wine, beer & food the Heathcote region is quickly becoming known for.
From a 150 year old pub Tooborac Hotel & Brewery, to two of the first wineries of the modern day Heathcote wine renaissance Munari Wines & Flynns Wines, to a brewery of yesteryear Palling Bros Brewery reborn like a fiery phoenix.
Our locales are much more than just pubs, breweries and wineries they are hand picked, immersive spaces with stories to tell, perfectly suited for musical performances with outdoor stages & stunningly serene vistas.
Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Rambling...
We are all on a journey… some constants remain the same… The Tooborac Hotel has been many things to many thousands of people since 1857. A shearers stop off. A blacksmiths shop. A general store, a Pub for over 150 years, serving the beer of the time, meals, accommodation, a safe respite, a stop on the way to a new adventure.
A place to work, live, have a family. Send off a son to war, welcome him home. A rest stop on the exciting journey to find a fortune. A place to escape the blistering sun, and spin a few tales.
A place to warm the weary traveler and quench a thirst. A place to celebrate a victory, the birth of a child or just share a beer with a mate. The Tooborac Hotel and Brewery means so much to so many people & has for over 150 years
The Tooborac Hotel is a country hotel built circa 1857 with an onsite brewery. It is the oldest National Trust listed country pub in Victoria - renowned for being family friendly with a warm and inviting atmosphere. An ideal destination for clubs, groups & families.
The brewers at Tooborac draw their ideas from the traditional beer recipes, instead of brewing lagers and ales to match the larger commercial breweries. Tooborac Hotel Brewery has embarked on a journey to make classic tasting beers available to the ever growing legion of craft beer drinkers.
Part of this journey is to make beers that honour the working traditions of Australia. Our brewers continue with their endeavour to take craft beer lovers on a classic journey by recreating beers made to more historical recipes, such as Dark German Lagers for October Fest, our upcoming Scotch Ale and the Indian Pale Ale, which was traditionally brewed with a high volume of hops so that it would not spoil on the long boat trips to India.
We see life is a journey, so we might as well have a beer that suits each step along the way.
The Munari Vineyard is positioned on Red Cambrian greenstone foundations, within the strip of super complex mineral deposits. This soil combines with the Mediterranean climate to produce fruit displaying the bold complex concentrated flavours which are distinctiveely Heathcote “Terroir”, one of Victoria’s premium wine producing areas.
This Halliday 5 star rated winery was established in 1992 and is located within the Heathcote wine region. Munari Wines is situated right on ancient Cambrian soil and original vineyard strip, it has a timeless feel emphasised by the simple, baltic pine tasting room, which was once the property's stables, rustic homestead and original outbuildings.
Visit Munari Wines and you will meet owners Adrian and Deborah Munari, the most welcoming hosts. Between tastings explore the large range of back vintages, learn about the history of the label design and get firsthand accounts on the history of the business the property & how the Heathcote wine region continues to grow in reputation throughout Australia & the World.
It was the height of a dry dusty summer when Natala and Greg Flynn bought a bare paddock at Ladys Pass. Their parents thought they were crazy, but they were set on starting their own winery. They planted out their vines by hand in 1999, and produced their first vintage in 2002.
Flynns Wines was established with a focus to make individual & premium wines reflective of the vineyard, the vintage season and Heathcote regionality. They love to give customers an insight into wine with first hand experience with the winemakers in Cellar Door and the Winery.
Greg produces quality individual Heathcote wines of excellent value. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Sangiovese and Verdelho are available.. The vineyard and winery are located 13 kms north of Heathcote township on the strip of ancient red Cambrian soil that produces the big bold Heathcote reds for which the area is renowned.
These days Greg commands the grapes & is fond of retelling the story of Flynns, The bistro serves grazing platters (including olives from Cyprian-Australian neighbour John Christopoulos) and comfort food, using produce from the on-site vegie patch and local growers. Diners can take a seat indoors, or recline in the leafy courtyard.
Flynns Wines Cellar Door is Open by appointment only so take this opportunity to experience the very best of Flynns firsthand.
Heathcote's original brewer Palling Bros Brewery is in the heartland of Goldfields Territory, Heathcote! This establishment specialises in handcrafted artisan beer for beer lovers, fine dining, and live music.
Their team brews, kegs, bottles, sells and drinks the beer - They love their job!
Founder Henry Rood Palling Rood Henry to his friends, was one of Heathcote's founding brewers. A legend, honoured by Alfred Deakin (our second Prime Minister) when he was Australia's Attorney General. The guy helped put Heathcote on the map! Palling's are super excited to be back in town & they'd love you to join them - just ask for Henry!
To the back of the venue you can see the brewery, all their beers being made on site and poured on tap right here. Palling's chefs have an amazing menu to cater for everyone’s taste buds, and use locally sourced products.
Palling Bros Brewery is a dog friendly venue, with a large beer garden outside to soak up the sun with friends and family while having a beer in hand. A wide variety of craft beer is here to satisfy every beer lover, from our famous Indian Pale Ale, Stouts, Golden Ale, & exclusive mid strength Great Southern.
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