Vineyards and homes lost but cellar door reopens in aftermath of fires

Despite huge losses at the Fowles Winery, Avenel, the Cellar Door and restaurant re-opened to the public just three days after being severely impacted by the Longwood bushfire. Owned and operated by the Fowles family in the Strathbogie Ranges, the fire destroyed 300 acres of vines, 1500 acres of grazing land and killed an estimated 1400 sheep, along with the family home and a second house where the uncle was living. Matt Fowles described the aftermath as a ‘moonscape’ and a total crop failure for the vintage. By 10am on Thursday, a shocked Fowles began mopping up and assessing damage, and worked until midnight to protect whatever buildings remained, before winds increased again and he left 300 acres of scorched vines, 1500 acres of burnt grazing land and hundreds of dead sheep. The Longwood fire hit the family-owned, award-winning Fowles Wines outside Avenel, at 9.15am on Thursday. Just 45 minutes later, it had left a moonscape of scorched vines, razed homes and dead sheep. As well as the 300 acres of vines destroyed, hundreds of sheep killed and Fowles’ uncle’s house, as well as those of neighbours, were gone. “At this stage, it’s definitely 100 per cent crop failure for this vintage, and all the infrastructure around it – all the drippers [for watering], all the posts – are all burnt - burnt to the ground,” Matt said. Despite the devastation, the winery at Upton Hill and the cellar door at Avenel were not damaged, and the support from the wine industry and beyond had been overwhelming, Matt said on their Facebook page. A cellar door representative also re-affirmed that the public support had been ‘really amazing’ and they expected a good gathering of both local and visitor patronage on Sunday. A statement from Matt on Fowles Facebook page stated: “We’re reopening! “After what has been a very heavy couple of days, we’re pleased to share that our Cellar Door and Restaurant will reopen Sunday, 11 January. “Thank you so much for the heartfelt messages of support from all corners of the globe, we’ve truly felt the love. “With your ongoing support, we’ll get through the tough months ahead together. We look forward to welcoming you back. “Horror visited us on the vineyard in the past few days,” Matt said. “We lost our home, sheds, vineyards and livestock. “We are heartbroken. “Thanks to the bravery of our team, friends and the CFA and helicopters, the winery is still standing. “Our Cellar Door and Restaurant is unharmed and as soon as we are safely able to, we will re-open and welcome you back with open arms for some big hugs. “Thanks for all the support - it means the world to our family. “Our hearts go out to all the other local families fighting similar battles,” Matt said. Owner Matt Fowles also lost the family home as well as a second house where he his uncle was living. ELGO ESTATE HIT HARD: Elgo Estate announced that its Elgo Vineyard at Upton Hill had been “devastated” in the Longwood fire. They said in an Instagram post, “To all our friends and neighbours who have lost so much in this horrendous fire, we are so sorry for your loss. “We sincerely hope that everyone who has or may be impacted by this fire remain safe. “To all attending CFA members/volunteers and aircrew we cannot thank you enough for your help “The response was tremendous. We are hoping our winery and sheds remain safe.”