St Maur November 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to our St Maur newsletter for November 2025. In this newsletter:

• • • • • •  November 2025 Vineyard & Winery Update
        • • St Maur Wins 2025 LuxLife Food and Drink Award
          • Southern Highlands Food & Wine – Fuelling Growth
• Recommendations from our Cellar
• Cellar Door Hours

November 2025 Vineyard and Winery Update       

I hope that our members are enjoying winter wherever you may be, just as we are here in the Southern Highlands.

It was only a few weeks ago that I was out in the vineyard in shorts and short sleeved shirt enjoying the thirty or so degrees, thinking that spring had truly sprung. In typical Highlands style, fast forward a few weeks and I had the jacket back on, there was a chill in the air, and the winds had picked up again.

All pretty normal, if you’ve been here in the Highlands for some time. Weather aside, I can report that the vineyard was looking very good and that our vines are setting nicely for the 2026 vintage. Some favourable weather now would be welcomed, to coax the vines to develop further as we head into summer.

We have also been busy bottling over the last months, and we are ready to release some great drops in the St Maur Lot 41 range. Our members will be very pleased to know that we have the 2024 vintage of two of our signature wines ready – our 2024 Lot 41 Pinot Noir and 2024 Lot 41 Chardonnay.

Our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are always in demand and need no introduction for members. However, can I also suggest that if you’re near the cellar door on the weekend, you drop in to taste the newly released 2023 Lot 41 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Lot 41 Cabernet Merlot, and 2024 Lot 41 Pinot Gris. All are drinking very well and deserve a taste – many who have tried these wines have purchased a bottle or two.

While I was in the vineyard, I was thinking about when we planted the vines at St Maur in 1998. Much has changed in the Highlands over the last twenty five years or so, and I have noted some thoughts in the article below.

Let’s hope for some favourable weather, and I extend an invitation to come by and taste our latest releases.

As ever, happy reading.

St Maur Wins 2025 LuxLife Food and Drink Award

 We are proud to announce that St Maur Farm Wines has been awarded Best Boutique Vineyard Experience – Southern Highlands in the 2025 LuxLife Food and Drinl Awards.

The Award follows on from our Best Estate Winery – NSW in the 2022 LuxLife Awards and Best Tasting Experience – Southern Highlands in the 2022 Gournet Traveller Wines Australia’s Best Cellar Door Awards.

Southern Highlands’ Food and Wine Producers – Fuelling Tourism, Liveability and Property Values

It wasn’t that long ago that Yulefest (Christmas in July) was a major drawcard for the Southern Highlands and dairy and grazing were dominant industries. Indeed, St Maur operated as a dairy farm for many decades. I was reflecting on planting the first vines at St Maur over twenty-five years ago and how the region had evolved since then.

Today, Wine Australia notes that Southern Highlands is a boutique, vibrant and fast growing wine region. The high altitude climate is cool, moist and slightly humid, with vineyards planted up to 700 m with about 60 vineyards and about 15 cellar doors now in the region.

The cool climate has always given the Highlands its own identity. Our region’s proximity to Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong (just over an hour) makes it ideal for day trips and weekend getaways. Not only are people travelling to the Highlands for tourism, but since Covid normalised working from home, more people are choosing to leave the city and make it their home.

And it’s not just the opportunity for a tree change or gorgeous scenery that are pulling people here. The growth in the popularity of our wines, restaurants and food producers is having a great effect on the desirability of the region and contributing to rising property values.

Pie Time was an interesting campaign and positioning for the region, and it provided some delicious baked fare. But for those of us who were aware of the breadth of food and wine producers in the Highlands, we knew the region offered so much more that the humble or gourmet pie.

Local producers are giving the region its flavour. The Highlands’ fertile soil yields Angus beef, Wessex Saddleback pigs, eggs, cheese, olives, olive oil, mushrooms, garlic, truffles, potatoes, berries, fruits and more. Producers are offering farm tours and cooking classes.  Local markets including Exeter Village market, Bowral markets, Co-op markets, Mittagong markets and Moss Vale’s Railway Street Farmers market allow visitors and locals to buy directly from farmers and other producers.

Numerous acclaimed restaurants , wineries and cafés like Josh’s and Café Rosso are all showcasing local produce, attracting visitors to the region and building a loyal local following. Not to mention the great country pubs including the Surveyor General Inn in Berrima (Australia’s oldest licensed hotel), Mittagong Hotel, Robertson Public House, Highlands Hotel in Mittagong, Bundanoon Hotel, The Argyle Hotel in Moss Vale, and even The Grand Hotel in Kiama that offer classic meals, wood-fired pizza, premium steaks and fine dining.

And more and more local wines are being featured on wine lists and are now ranged through our bottle shops, including Chambers Cellars, Thirsty Cellars and Liquorland in Bowral, Dan Murphy’s in Mittagong and IGA at Moss Vale. Local businesses are embracing the region’s wines and fuelling even more growth. If I missed some of the venues supporting us, apologies and I’ll mention you next time.

At St Maur Farm Wines, our ethos has always honoured the history of our family-owned farm with our club members enjoying tastings and events in our converted dairy. We’ve maintained our own kitchen garden, keep hens for eggs and bees for honey. In the paddocks next to the vines we have Angus and Belted Galloway grazing and from time to time we have used our pork to make our own salami and sausages.

Growth in food and wine tourism and increased remote working options have fuelled growth, making the region more attractive to buyers, Add to this the Highlands’ lifestyle appeal and there’s been a noticeable effect on liveability and property prices. The region’s blend of beauty, excellent schools and a growing food and wine culture attracts buyers seeking a balanced lifestyle.

In just a few decades, the Highlands has evolved from Yulefest, grazing and dairy farms to a vibrant and growing destination. It’s a great example of how wine and food culture can transform a region and how culinary and lifestyle appeal add a premium to property values.

I believe that the region’s growth offers opportunities to share our passion for cool climate wines and farm to table experiences, while helping build more facets to the Southern Highlands’ appeal and greater value for all who have made it their home.

Let’s raise a glass to that!

Recommendations from our Cellar

2024 LOT 41 Pinot Noir

RRP $41.00 Bottle                          $246.00 Box of 6   Members discount available for members

2023 LOT 41 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

A soft stylish wine with a silky finish and complex flavours. The classic blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot balance the dark fruit richness of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the velvety, plumy texture of Merlot. The palate delivers upfront berries with a delicate finish. Drink now or cellar to 2034.

RRP $39.00 Bottle                          $234.00 Box of 6   Members discount available for members

2023 LOT 41 Cabernet Sauvignon

A magnificent dry red wine, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon has been matured in French and American oak for 20 months. It displays a delightful balance of oak, and fruit – blackcurrant, and cherry, and capsicum. Blackcurrant and plum flavours dominate the nose. Drink now or cellar to 2034.

RRP $39.00 Bottle                          $234.00 Box of 6   Members discount available for members

Members can order wines by phone (02) 4883 4401, via email: info@stmaurwines.com.au or through our website: stmaurwines.com.au  or at our cellar door, open Saturdays and Sundays between 10.30am – 4.30pm.

Marco

This post was written by John Giro