Rutherglen - Stop For Lunch

Rutherglen is a small town, at the north eastern parts of country Victoria, 10 kilometers from the nearby Murray River border with New South Wales. It was named after the Scottish town of Rutherglen, just outside of Glasgow.

This old gold rush township was established in the 1850's. Today, Rutherglen is a major and the oldest wine producing region in Australia, with wineries all within a short drive from the town of Rutherglen. This wine region is particularly noted for its sweet fortified wines.

Passing through Rutherglen on our way back to Melbourne, we stopped over for some lunch. The main street of the town has an old historical charm about it, with most of the shop fronts retaining the same look they had a century ago.

I have heard much about this place but we will have to come back another time to explore this region history, sights, its soul, character, food and wine at our leisure. Autumn is recommended as the best time of the year to visit this region for this is the time after the harvest, when exciting festival and events happens.

We stopped at the Rutherglen Wine Experience Visitor Information Centre, located in the town centre on 57 Main Street.

The centre offers a display of the town's rich history, how wines are made and also provides comprehensive tourist information of the region, from information of local businesses, activities and events, bike hire, internet access, a gift shop offering great local wines, local produce and souvenirs, a cafe with delicious breakfast and lunch offerings, art gallery and lots more.

Yes, this place is packed with information of the region and a good place to start when planning your stay here.

Walking about along the Main Street of the town, looking for a place to have some lunch, we came across this odd named cafe, "Forks n Corks", serving Modern Australian cafe food, on 82 Main Street. Seafood Pasta, Fish and Chips were our selection for the day.

Just a couple of shops away, there is "The Home of Parker Pies". Just could not resist the temptation to pack a couple of them pies too .....for supper!

There is also an artistic flair to the town, judging by the arrangement of the bicycles. They were on display along Main Street. The railway line suggest a strong history of the place, but the line has long since been closed.