THE Quartz Vein Vineyard up the back of Cofield Wines at Wahgunyah is a special rarity.
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It sits on a complex patch of soil with a thin vein of quartz rock running through it that imbues the resulting wines with a unique character.
It's a hospitable host.
Fittingly, the Quartz Vein Vineyard was the inspiration behind Cofield Wines' new eatery, Quartz Cafe, which opened to the public at the weekend.
It is the first time Cofields have taken over running a restaurant themselves at their Distillery Road winery, which opened in 1990.
Pickled Sisters Cafe operated the eatery under two different teams before Footsteps Cafe took over the lease during the past two years.
Cofield Wines owner Damien Cofield says it's a neater arrangement and avoids any confusion about ownership of the cafe.
"We're taking control of our own destiny," he says.
"We're offering an expanded beer and wine range and will have an expanded spring menu.
"We'll be announcing an executive chef and front of house team in the coming weeks.
"We're gearing up now and hoping to be very busy over spring and summer."
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Menu highlights comprise the Quartz Royale: poached free-range eggs on toasted brioche, Murray River smoked trout, avocado and hollandaise; duck spring rolls, apple fennel salad with sweet soy drizzle; slow braised beef cheek in Cofield Durif on colcannon mash with seasonal vegetables; and a sticky date and Cofield Topaque pudding, caramel sauce with homemade salted caramel ice cream.
The cafe re-opened at the weekend after a fortnight-long fit-out and renovation.
It comes hot on the heels of Cofield Wines winning the Halliday Wine Companion People's Choice Best Winery Experience Award.
The Cofields' team was on board for Halliday Wine Companion Awards Dinner at Stokehouse St Kilda in Melbourne.
Cofield Wines also won the Outstanding Business in Agriculture at the Albury Wodonga Business Awards on August 11.
Mr Cofield is proud of the business accolades, which prove they're on the right track.
"It's a real feather in our cap for us and our staff," Mr Cofield says.
"It was our first Halliday awards ceremony followed closely by the Albury Wodonga Business Awards."
Cofield Wines is also undergoing the certification process with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.
Joel Chambers (Lake Moodemere Estate) and Natasha Killeen (Stanton & Killeen Wines) have been instrumental in driving the project in the Rutherglen wine region.
Mr Cofield says the sustainability focus will build on Cofields' priorities over more than three decades of wine-making.
Specialising in sparkling wines made using the Method Traditionelle process, Cofield Wines also offer a wide variety of regional white wines, Rutherglen reds and sweet and fortified wines.
Quartz Cafe operates seven days, 9am to 4pm, with group dinners by request.
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