C+G Explores: Nashdale Lane Winery

Nashdale Lane Wines is situated in the stunning highlands of Orange - just over 3 hours west of Sydney. A nirvana of remarkable food and wine, big sky, nature, and pure mountain air. It’s a family owned and run vineyard & winery surrounded by orchards, olive groves, sheep and cattle farms, with views to the iconic peaks of Mount Canobolas.  

C+G were delighted to stay in their onsite luxury glamping accommodation. It was the perfect complement to the exceptional quality cool climate wines they produce. The tents had Scandinavian feels and the shower was one of the best showers Gee has ever experienced. In the morning, we were able to help ourselves to the local produce for breakfast while sitting on the deck looking out to the vines – what away to start the day!

Carlotta + Gee worked very closely with the Country Style team to choose the location and plan the front cover story. We teamed up with Stylist Jodie Gibbons from Belljar Interiors and local photographer Pip Farquharson to create the perfect combinations. There was a mixture of outside dining as well as sleeping (as you do!) all in linen, showing how versatile the fabric is in all seasons. In this nature-based setting, the linen’s breathability and relaxed look and feel really come to life. 

Shop the look: Rosewood Duvet Cover, Flat Sheet in Olive Stripes, Fitted Sheet in Olive, Standard Pillowcases in Olive and Olive Stripes

 We were very happy to interview one of the owners Tanya and we are even more excited to share our conversation with her.

Can you give us the background of how Nashdale Lane wines began? 

The vineyard at Nashdale Lane was established in 2001 – just over twenty years ago now.  My husband Nick and I travelled all over Australia and Europe (the search took more than ten years) before settling on the site we now occupy in the beautiful cool climate wine country of Orange, NSW.  I worked in vineyards in Tuscany after gaining a degree in Communications from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, NSW (majoring in PR and Journalism) while Nick finished a Business degree majoring in French in France and also working in vineyards and wine bars.  Nick and I agreed - from almost the first day we met in a pub in London in 1999, producing and making our own high-quality wine was our end game. But we also knew it wouldn’t be an overnight thing, we had to be patient. Nick is from a second-generation farming family, so he grew up farming – I guess it is in his blood.  From our early twenties on, we spent a lot of time travelling in wine regions, working, drinking and soaking up inspiration. We steadily built the foundations of Nashdale Lane Wines over decades before finally realising it…

Your Husband Nick and yourself run the business, what are your two different roles?

We are both hands-on in pretty much all aspects of the business from the viticultural, winemaking, sales & marketing... we share the workload. Nick is very passionate about the viticulture side of things (and is also a much better tractor driver than me). He is also pretty handy with technology in all shapes and forms so he is more the IT guy while I manage more of the sales. But honestly there is a lot of cross over in our roles.  You’ll find us both working face to face serving at the cellar door and then the next day in the vineyard or at the winery – it’s a partnership. We bounce off and challenge each other - we keep each other honest too. It can get hectic working with your partner and raising two kids but it mostly works for us. As clichéd as it sounds, we absolutely love what we do - despite the long days, weekends and 24/7 nature of the vineyard, cellar door and winery. We wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Orange where your winery is situated is definitely a very growing area for many city slickers - have you seen a change in the region since you started?

Orange  town centre has beautiful, wide heritage-lined streets as well as four distinct seasons. At its core Orange has always been an agricultural/ growing region, this has not changed but it has evolved a lot in the past 40-50 years. In the past, Orange was known as the fruit bowl of NSW. Today many of the apple orchards have been converted to vineyards and cellar doors (although some still remain and are great for those that want to pick up the best quality fruit you can find anywhere). Now Orange is known as an exceptional cool climate wine region. There are some 50 quality cellar doors and in-line with the high-quality local wines, the food/ restaurant/ café scence has evolved to an exceptionally high level. When you have a great wine and food town that is blessed not only because it is a productive + has stunning countryside, good public facilities, friendly locals + vibrant cultural scene it’s easy to see why city slickers are attracted. It’s a no-brainer! 

You also have glamping tents available to stay in - tell us about them?

We established Nashdale Lane Glamping four years ago because we wanted to create a carbon neutral, unique but luxurious experience for nature & wine lovers looking for a ‘road less travelled’ getaway.  Our Glamping is for two people/ couples only - it’s relaxed, exclusive & private. The Glamps (as we call them) are imported from Holland, they are rustic but stylish and come well equipped with home-comforts such as wood fires, four poster Queen bed, private monsoon shower & bathroom, private deck and BBQ facilities. Guests stay with us on the vineyard to relax while enjoying our wine, taking in the beautiful night skies and country views while feeling they are a million miles from anywhere. The great thing is however guests can also pop into town for a meal and enjoy the many quality restaurants we enjoy here in Orange town centre –sust 10 minutes away from us by car.  

What’s next for Nashdale Lane Wines?

Vintage 2021 is the next big and immediate thing for us. With harvest already well underway on the vineyard we are part the way there but it’s a process that takes time and patience.  Producing and making exceptional, award-winning cool climate wine is the core of what we do. Managing the vineyard and winery so that our wines are the best they can be is the single, most important thing for us.  We are also evolving our cellar door experience and Wine Club over the next year so our wine tasting and VIP customers will be treated to something exceptional but also authentic to Nashdale Lane Wines.  So, watch this space! Producing and making wine is dynamic - there is always something new and exciting to plan (and often things you can’t plan for - like the weather)  We are constantly evolving our business. That is both the challenge and joy of what we do. There is never a dull moment!

For more information, visit https://nashdalelane.com