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Mount Macedon Winery

433 Bawden Road, Mount Macedon

I’m spending this footy finals series eating and drinking my way through footballer-owned venues around Victoria, and that’s what led me up the winding roads of the Macedon Ranges to Mt Macedon Winery.

The cellar door is run by former Richmond premiership defender Dylan Grimes, who isn’t just an investor in the winery but the beating heart of it. That’s not just saying that, he was there when I was – helping with the Saturday lunch service; making his way around to each of the tables to either clean up a newly emptied wine glass, take another’s order or just to chat. 

Dylan, with his wife Alicia, bought the property back in 2016 when they were just 23 and 22. Where we dined began as a tractor shed and a small working vineyard, which has been slowly and steadily transformed into a polished winery, restaurant, and wedding destination. Nearly a decade in, the work and care they’ve poured into it shows. Grimes admits that in the early days they had “no idea what we were doing” but chipped away bit by bit. During his Tigers career, he even spent most of his days off working here – repairing fences, learning viticulture, pruning and planting – all with the idea that when he retired, he could jump in with both feet.

The drive up alone feels rewarding: you take a winding dirt track up to the winery, where it suddenly opens up and you can see the mountains above and the valley below. On warmer days, the lawns are set up for families to picnic under the gums, often with live music drifting from speakers in the trees. Inside, the cellar door has been turned into a fine dining establishment in what was once the shed, renovated during and after Covid when the Grimes family adapted to new restrictions and reimagined what the space could be. There’s also a more casual kitchen across the dirt track that hosts events and serves wood-fired pizzas and shared plates, but for a proper long lunch, the restaurant is where to settle in.

Before any food arrived, I was impressed. The fit out was beautifully done, custom light, linen curtains lined one side of the intimate space, wine barrels stacked up in corners and as dividers on other walls. There was a glass that had the ‘Mt Macedon Winery’ stamped on it that promptly got taken away when we chose what wine we were going to drink, replaced with the appropriate Riedel glasses. “Show glasses” were seen on every table, showing the attention to detail perfectly. 

We started with the honey-roasted heirloom carrots, caramelised until naturally sweet and paired with whipped tahini, bright pomegranate and a fennel–sunflower seed dressing. It was a dish that felt light but textured, easy to polish off. Then came the slow-braised lamb ribs, twice-cooked and brushed with a black garlic glaze that gave each bite a rich depth, balanced by marinated eggplant and native saltbush. We diligently drank the matched (as per the menu) Pinot Noir with the ribs, a light but interesting drop.

The mains carried the same thoughtfulness: duck breast with silky chestnut purée and muscatel jus had autumn written all over it, while the Southern Ranges eye fillet was cooked perfectly medium rare, served with persimmon and lemon thyme jus, small details that elevated a classic. Naturally, a Shiraz paired with the steak, delightful. 

The house-made pumpkin ravioli offered a vegetarian highlight, filled with roasted pumpkin and sitting against a saffron–leek purée, smoked ricotta and crisp kale leaves. We tried the chardonnay alongside the ravioli, and for someone who normally errs more on the red side, this might’ve won the day for me.

For sides, rosemary-salted Kipfler potatoes came golden and crunchy, and green beans dressed with romesco and toasted almonds were the sort of dish that reminds you not to overlook simple things done very well. 

Dessert was a toasted coconut parfait layered with caramelised mandarin, a hit of kaffir lime syrup and a feather-light mandarin cake – bright, refreshing, and decadent at once.

The wines tie everything together. Under each dish, they have a paired wine to go along with it – to be able to try a couple, we ordered a couple of the suggested pairings in their 250ml size. Our waitress, Paige, recommended their 2022 drop in a number of different forms – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz – if you do go, it seems that’s the year to drink from!

What makes Mt Macedon Winery work so well is how unforced it feels. It’s clear he and Alicia have built it with the same traits that defined his playing days: persistence, patience, and grit. Nearly ten years since they first walked onto the property with little more than enthusiasm, they’ve created something that reflects both themselves and the region. 

This is a place about slowing down, eating well, drinking better, and looking out over a landscape that almost insists you take your time. That it’s been shaped by someone who once shut down forwards at the MCG just makes the story all the better.

Image: Supplied.