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A consortium of Queanbeyan families who saw <a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lake George Winery</a> for sale on Facebook less than a week before auction are now its proud owners.Jag, Amardeep, Avtar and Sarabjit Singh are the new owners of the 276-acre property, with a successful bid of $4.55 million at auction on Sunday. The cool climate winery comes with a restaurant, cellar door, wedding venue, working winery and seven luxury Airbnb venues.<img alt="173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290-image-0-20230608065728683360-crop-c0-5__0-5-1600x750" class="richtext-image full-width" height="375" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81.width-800_EJHg7NM.png" width="800">The new owners already own businesses in the accommodation and hospitality industries: Jag Singh is the owner of Hamilton’s Motel, on Tharwa Road, while Amardeep owns Queanbeyan Punjabi Hut.Consortium spokesperson Jag Singh described the purchase as “exciting”.“We had been looking for a property like this and then we saw it advertised a week before the auction,” Jag said.“We spent the entire week last week together working out if it was the right investment, doing projections, and we decided it was perfect.”<img alt="173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290-image-26-20230608064_ckrxCKY-crop-c0-5__0-5-1600x750-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="375" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81.width-800_eVR8PQc.jpg" width="800">Jag said the new owners will maintain the “hugely popular and award-winning” team at the winery, and look to extend the capacity of the winery’s main wedding venue – Westering – to around 400.“Destination weddings for people from Sydney and right across the country will be a big focus,” he said.“We want to increase the capacity of the accommodation as well so we can host bigger weddings.“We of course will honour the current bookings at the venue and would encourage everyone considering the winery to book in as soon as they can.“We will carry forward the legacy of the winery and want to say a huge thank you to Sarah for building it into the iconic venue it is today.”<img alt="173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290-image-0-20230608064019857666-crop-c0-5__0-5-1600x750-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="375" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81.width-800_HS4lyME.jpg" width="800">It was a big day for the winery, with 60 people on-site to watch the bidding, while a Canberra Swing Dancing event took place at Westering.The sale of the winery was the culmination of a seven-week marketing and sales campaign, which saw the property marketed heavily in Sydney and across the Southern Highlands. Around 55 interested parties inspected the winery in the lead-up to the auction.<img alt="173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290-image-0-20230608065727518003-crop-c0-5__0-5-1600x750" class="richtext-image full-width" height="375" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81.width-800_W2yZXXo.png" width="800">Outgoing winery owner Sarah McDougall, who watched the auction from the deck of her home with a glass of sauvignon blanc in hand, described the sale as “bittersweet”. Her husband Anthony passed away almost 12 months ago and was a well-known face of the winery.“Anthony and I had a five-year vision and we exceeded what we had planned over those years,” Sarah said.“It will be a 120-day settlement so business as usual till December, when there will be a seamless handover.”<img alt="IMG_7337" class="richtext-image full-width" height="1066" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_7337.width-800.jpg" width="800">Sarah will continue to produce her own wine, as well as continue in her role as a sought-after marketer and consultant to a number of tourism bodies.“I’m working on a few things including continuing distilling and staying in the wine industry,” she said.“I’m on the board of Destination New South Wales Southern, and I’ve got a few exciting trips booked.&quot;We&#x27;ve made some incredible memories but it&#x27;s time for something new.&quot;

Four Queanbeyan families join forces to buy Lake George Winery

You know you’ve built a pretty phenomenal business when it’s being sold but the staff are super keen to stay on.Lake George Winery owner Sarah McDougall has listed the <a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">276-acre cool climate winery at 173 The Vineyards Road, Lake George</a>, for sale after five years at the helm: but the people who live and breathe the work of the estate are keen to stay employed by the new owners.“We’ve got some amazing local talent here,” Sarah says.“All the staff want to stay and it’s a great culture.”<div>
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The iconic estate goes to auction on Sunday 23 July 2023 with a published reserve of $4.97 million, which includes a restaurant, cellar door, wedding venue, working winery and seven luxury Airbnb venues.The main residence has four bedrooms with ensuite and bathroom, a modern kitchen, open-plan dining and living area and extensive decks, while a detached guest house and converted garage is not far away.<img alt="173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290-image-0-20230608065727518003-thumbnail-1920x1920" class="richtext-image full-width" height="448" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81.width-800.png" width="800">Upcoming event bookings totalling $250,000 over the next 18 months are included, and the estate has the potential to host concerts, recitals and other large-scale events.Sydneysiders are being targeted in the estate’s marketing campaign, with the listing noting there’s not a single set of traffic lights between the winery and the Sydney CBD.<img alt="173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290-image-26-20230608064_ckrxCKY-thumbnail-1920x1920-70" class="richtext-image full-width" height="533" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81.width-800.jpg" width="800">Launched on the shores of Lake George in 1973, the winery turns 50 this year, an incredible milestone that Sarah is hoping the new owners celebrate in style.“This year’s fruit was incredible quality and some are still in-barrel and tasting amazing,” Sarah says.“The owners will have a seamless continuation of the production of our award-winning wines.”Sarah and husband Anthony purchased the winery in 2018, with plans to bring all wine-making back on-site, build a stunning menu of award-winning wines (including new wine ranges), add boutique accommodation and make sustainability a focus.<img alt="IMG_6731" class="richtext-image full-width" height="1065" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/IMG_6731.width-800.jpg" width="800">Sarah won owner/operator of the year at the 2019 Australian Women in Wine Awards.“We had lots of plans and ideas and watching them come to life was incredible,” Sarah says.“We always had a vision of leaving the ground in better shape than we inherited it.“We removed chemicals from our framing practices and made all of our wines vegan.”<img alt="2A791EE4-7CCB-47B8-9697-AE24F36C9B57" class="richtext-image full-width" height="800" src="https://d2t3vhau9g43uy.cloudfront.net/media/images/2A791EE4-7CCB-47B8-9697-AE24F36C9B57.width-800.jpg" width="800">The couple’s two younger children, Eloise and Ryder, were raised among the vines and have been helping with the wine production process since they were old enough to walk. Sadly, Anthony passed away in 2022.So what’s next for Sarah?“I’ve been a vigneron for 10 years now, so it’s in my blood,” she says.“I’ve got a few things in the pipeline which includes working on my other property outside of Canberra.“But I’m going to take some time being a mum and not working on weekends.“I’ve had the most amazing time as the owner of such an iconic property, but it’s time for the estate’s next chapter.”Lake George Winery, located at 173 The Vineyards Road, Lake George, will be auctioned on Sunday 23 July 2023. The estate is open for inspection each Saturday and Sunday between 2.30pm and 4pm.<a href="https://zango.com.au/sale/173-the-vineyards-road-lake-george-nsw-2581-81290/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the full listing.</a>

2 news articles with tag winery

Four Queanbeyan families join forces to buy Lake George Winery

Lake George Winery owner Sarah McDougall lists the estate after five years at the helm