General News
15 July, 2022
Teddy Powlett returns to Waubra with Wayward Winery
POPULAR restaurant owner Teddy Powlett is ready to take on his latest adventure and add to Waubra’s reinvigoration by taking over Wayward Winery.
POPULAR restaurant owner Teddy Powlett is ready to take on his latest adventure and add to Waubra’s reinvigoration by taking over Wayward Winery.
Formerly known as Quoin Hill Winery and referred to as the ‘gateway to the Pyrenees wine region’, the opportunity to contribute to Waubra’s growth was an “exciting” prospect for Mr Powlett, who spent much of his early adulthood in the Pyrenees,
Renowned for operating a series of successful restaurants in Ballarat, close ties to the Pyrenees has seen Mr Powlett return to the region where he, along with his team, are “excited” for this next chapter.
“A lot of the locals have commented on how exciting it is with the timing of this and the Springs Hotel pub coming back as well. Learmonth has Café Sidra and 321 Cider and the pubs in Lexton and Avoca are doing really well, so there are all these cool little destination spots popping up now,” he said.
“Being able to draw people back to those community centres is really exciting and hopefully we can contribute to that.
“Chatting with a lot of the locals, it’s created a sense of excitement about what the town can achieve.
Having previously lived in Learmonth and playing football with Waubra, the Lakies and Beaufort – Mr Powlett is no stranger to the area.
He and his family have also moved into the house adjacent to the winery.
With the winery’s restaurant now taking bookings, Mr Powlett has set his sights on the next few stages of the project.
This includes renovating and adding to the winery’s accommodation, as well as combining with renowned wine-maker, Lee Clarnette, to launch a new label.
“The homestead is being renovated for weekenders or wedding stays. We’re also working on some one-bedroom studio pods up in the hills, so hopefully we can get some planning permits in soon and start constructing,” he said.
“The scope of this project is huge, it’s not just a restaurant but it’s a function centre, it’s accommodation, we’ve got 12 acres of vine so we’re producing and making wine.
“Wine making is something I’ve never really done before. Lee Clarnette, our wine maker, has his own label and is coming on board. Our wine label will be ‘WOW’ which will be either ‘Wines of Wayward’ or ‘Wines of Waubra’.
“There’ll be some traditional blends but also some new and exciting combinations as well.
“We really want to expand that label and work some of the other Pyrenees wineries to get some different grapes and variations as well.”
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