IF you love a winery with history then John Gehrig Wines is for you – John, a fourth generation winemaker, established the vineyard and winery on the banks of the King River, Oxley in 1976; within the Milawa Gourmet Region.

John's son Ross has taken on the challenge of guiding the next winemaking generation of Gehrigs to craft fine wines.

Ross has an obsession with producing the best grapes to produce wines of distinction that will pay homage to this iconic North East Victorian winery.

In 2011, the allure of returning back into John's original birthplace – Rutherglen – was too strong, thus Ross with wife Meghan, have expanded to a new vineyard and cellar door site in Gooramadda (east Rutherglen).

With the frosts of winter creeping over the vineyard, their attention in the vineyard turns to pruning post–harvest from autumn and in the winery they are busy bottling some fortified wines to ensure their shelves are stocked ready for the snow traffic.

So, if you are planning a trip to Rutherglen or Oxley, this winter season is a great time to try some heart–warming fortified wines and full flavoured red wines so you can match them to your favourite winter hearty casserole or meat dish.

If you enjoy a wide range of diverse wines, then John Gehrig Wines' cellar doors will certainly have your cellars restocked.

For more information on the winery and its history, visit their website at www.johngehrigwines.com.au.