May 12th, 2025Community picking day at Sailors Falls

Rob and Margaret McDonald recently held their 20th community picking day at their winery at Sailors Falls.  

Rob said the day started in 2005 with a few people from the Daylesford Walking  Group.

“It takes a few years for grapes to get going and we didn’t have that many in the early days. We planted in 1999 and our first crop was picked in 2005.  

“Some of the walkers, for some reason, got wildly excited about picking grapes so we had them around, had hot cross buns for morning team, a barbeque for lunch and then a few drinks at the end of the day.

“One year we had 25 people here. It just  grew and grew – still with mostly walkers, but also a few odds and bods who wanted to join the frivolities.”  

Rob said the free labour, albeit with all the perks, was a great help.

“If you had to bring in pickers it does cost a bit. And I have taken on a new role, I’m in my 81st year, so I hire a guy who does the lifting and pushing, and I do the cooking and catering. Everyone enjoys the day and I give them all a bottle of wine from a real family winery to take home. It combines work with fun.”  

Rob said while some of the earlier pickers were no longer around, there had  been a changing of the guard, with many people from U3A now helping out.  

“We do a few free wine tastings for U3A and they often ask if they can come along when we do the picking day. It’s a reciprocal thing.”  

Rob said the wine business was hard work, especially for local wineries unable to match the economies of scale of the bigger businesses.  

“We need to sell a bottle for about $20 but you can see wine for $5 and if that’s someone’s budget, it’s just what they have to buy. Cellarbrations does a good job for us with sales and a couple of businesses like Sault support us but it is hard going.  

“Any idiot can grow a grape, it’s the marketing and sales.”  

Rob said he and Margaret started Sailors Falls Estate, which offers meals and accommodation along with wine, as a “romantic notion”.

“I was never a big beer drinker and when I lived in Fitzroy I found everyone had wine in their sheds, they were making it themselves, and cooking pizzas in outside  ovens. I thought that was a great idea – to do when we retired.”  

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Contributed