Tilbrook Estate set to open new cellar door, 12 months after being ravaged by the Cudlee Creek bushfires

After losing most of its vineyard to bushfire, Tilbrook Estate is on the road to recovery, which includes the opening of a new cellar door.

A Lobethal winery, ravaged by the Cudlee Creek bushfires a year ago, is getting closer to opening a new cellar door.

Final construction works are under way at Tilbrook Estate, which plans to reopen to the public in March after being forced to shut its local sales operation as result of the fires and COVID-19.

Winery owners James and Annabelle Tilbrook said the road to recovery had been long with a number of trying times along the way.

However, both look forward to opening their cellar door, which has been custom designed and will be able to cater for small gatherings and events.

Window of hope: James and Annabelle Tilbrook are looking forward to opening a new cellar door next year. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“Originally, the intention was to open this month, before the kitchen and toilet were built, with us just doing tastings, no platters,” Mr Tilbrook said.

“But we think that it’s important that everything is properly finished before we open, which is why it’s going to be another few months.”

Mr Tilbrook said he hoped the opening would coincide with the launch of their first new wine since the fires ripped through their property on December 20 in 2019, destroying $300,000 worth of wine.

Around 70 per cent of the estate’s vines were also destroyed, as were all of Mr Tilbrook’s winemaking equipment, sheds and the old cellar door.

As a result, the couple has been forced to rely on donated grapes from nearby vineyards to create their current wine label, “Hope”.

This, Mr Tilbrook said, had helped keep their business operating.

“We are keeping afloat but for the September quarter, my sales dropped by 80 per cent compared to the same time last year.

“The Hope wines have helped us keep the skin in the game and the donated grapes helped us keep in business.

“Unfortunately it will be some years till we can make our own wine again but we are hoping to get a crop this year, which will mean we’ll at least have fruit again from out place to use for wine.”

The bushfire affected vineyard of Tilbrook Estate Winery in late December of 2019.

The Cudlee Creek bushfires destroyed $300,000 worth of wine.

While the Tilbrooks have much to look forward to in the new year, they admit that recovery has been anything but easy.

Like many bushfire affected residents, Mr Tilbrook suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, triggered by lingering smoke taint and burned rubble, all of which served as a constant reminder of what had happened.

Life has also been anything by easy for Mrs Tilbrook, who said the couple haven’t had a day off since the fires.

“This year has been about managing layers of complexity. So you’ve got normal life going on and then you add the recovery process on top of that, on top of normal vineyard management and that whole process is very tiring. But we try to stay positive and are so grateful for all the help we’ve received this year.”