Corowa and Rutherglen weekend

At the end of August 07, my boyfriend Russell and I used our weekend voucher to spend two nights at Bindaree Motel and Caravan Park, Corowa. We bought the voucher several months ago from getaway travel and included a limo winery tour, two nights accomodation, a free main course for each of us and continental breakfast for each morning.
We arrived in Corowa at approximately 12, drove into town and picked up lunch from a place on the main street called Shorty's. We headed back out of town to find out motel. We pulled into the drive way and were greeted by a small dog, before we made our way into reception. The receptionist was friendly, telling us where and when our limo would be arriving for the tour.
We drove up the driveway to our room, admiring the landscaped gardens on the way. The room consisted of an open space dining, fully equipped kitchen that included a stove, and lounge. The bath room was a comfortable size, the main bedroom had a double bed, while the second bedroom had enough room for three people to sleep.
I don't exactly recall every winery we went to, but I'll list the ones I remember, and add others as I go.
After lunch, the limousine arrived, and along with two other couples, we began our tour of the local wineries.
First stop was St Leonard's, where the first vine was planted in 1860, we tried several different types, including the Muscadello. The next winery was All Saints, the sister winery of St Leonard's, was established in 1864 and it's design is based on the Castle of May, complete with turrets and tower. Here we tried the Duriff, a heavy red wine with tannins in it, which gives a furry feeling on the tongue. After that plus a couple of other tastes, we wondered over to the Indigo Cheese Factory, where we tried some delicious cheeses, including a brie, blue vein, marinated and cheddar. While we didn't experience them, I would think it would also be worth while seeing the keg factory, Chinese dormitory and The Terrace.
Next stop was Chambers Rosewood, which had a few friendly cattle dogs lazing about. Here we tried a couple of the Tokays, which had an interesting taste, but weren't really for me. I tried the Muscadello as well, but still preferred St Leonard's.
After that the limo took us to Pfeifer's, the cattle dogs following us out, barking.
At Pfeifer's, I tried another Muscadello, and a Rose. Neither were really to my tastes, however, and Russell and I decided that since the first Muscadello from St Leonard's was still our favourite, we would go back the next morning to buy a bottle.
The limo dropped us off at the motel, and we went inside and had a sleep, before having a dinner of Chinese that we had picked up from Shorty's diner that afternoon. Then we settled in to watch a movie on TV.
The next morning, we woke late, and went for a drive around the motel park down to the river, before driving to Rutherglen, Yarrawonga and exploring some of the Murray River. We hung around Yarrawonga for a bit, and had lunch from a small take away. I decided to try a battered mussel, being I'd never had one before, and found it quite delicious.
That night, we dined at the restaurant that was part of the voucher. While the food was nice enough, and I recommend the prawns with avocado and chilli sauce, it wasn't quite filling enough, so when we finished we went across the road to a small Chinese shop. The prices here were incredibly cheap, and the food delicious. For those on a budget, I would recommend the Chinese restaurant next door to the Globe pub, you could feed the whole family for very little.
The next day we drove to Saint Leonard's winery to pick up two bottles of the 2006 Muscadello, for around $14 a bottle members price. This wine is a sweet white, with a tangy, grapey, fruitful flavour that can be enjoyed alone or with a fruit salad or Pavlova.
Next we drove to Rutherglen, where I requested we stop at Rutherglen Estates for more tasting. I tasted the Sangipop, which is berry flavoured, with a fizzy twist and a hint of sweetness. I bought a 375ml bottle of this to add to the other two bottles. While at the Estates, I also tried a Rose and a Muscadello, but declined to buy them.
Following this, we explored the small township of Rutherglen, which is a charming country town.
For lunch we went to a small takeaway in Wangaratta, and explored a little around there. There's a lovely park where we enjoyed lunch.
We then drove to Glenrowan, famous for being Ned Kelly's last stand off. The shops were interesting, and due to time constraints and fact we didn't arrive there until mid-afternoon, we didn't get to experience all that Glenrowan had to offer - but hopefully a trip there will inspire a future post!