Our Story

We are proudly family-owned and run (we’re Rosie, Griff, Libby, Tom and Wal, hello!), our much-loved restaurant, embodies the sustainable, local and homegrown principles we live and work by, using seasonal produce from our gardens, our Black Angus beef and ingredients sourced through our partnerships with local farmers. At Cupitt’s Estate, you will find a boutique winery, brewery, fromagerie, restaurant, luxury accommodation and a wedding venue - where the coast meets country near Milton on the pristine NSW South Coast, with unrivalled views overlooking the nearby Budawang Ranges and Burrill Lake. 

Rosie and Griff Cupitt had thought they were ready for retirement after selling the Bowral Hotel and their farm in the Southern Highlands. They had relocated to their holiday house at Narrawallee, a property they cherished every holiday and purchased over 40 years ago. Despite a great life living on the beach, Griff was missing life on the land, and they decided they would like to have a small farm again so Griff could graze cattle, a passion he could not shake. 

At the time, Rosie, a trained horticulturist, had broadened her passion for garden design and commenced a degree in viticulture. After some practical experience doing vintage with friends, Rosie changed her degree to winemaking. This decision led to building a small vineyard and winery and a compromise to use the farm for grape growing and grazing. Rosie and Griff decided that the best avenue to sell the local wine was to have a small restaurant, and they added this to the plan. The restaurant's popularity exceeded expectations, and the capacity of the restaurant customers continually increased over the years.

Our background was in farming and Rosie had studied winemaking and horticulture, so we were thrown into the deep end when we realised a restaurant would be needed for the business to be successful. Rosie, who had a passion for cooking, thought she could also cook meals for visitors in a table d'hôte style menu ("table of the host") depending on what she felt like cooking at the time. Thankfully, a little further investigation revealed this might not work and plans included the development of a restaurant alongside the Cellar Door positioned over the underground wine cave.  

Another advantage to the beautiful property was a historic stone building built in 1851 originally the creamery for the dairy farm. This building was restored as the Cellar Door and is one of the oldest buildings in use in the area. The Historic Cellar Door is now located right next door to our restaurant.

The property, a 75-hectare (185 acre), known as 'Washburton'is a historic property and was first settled by William Tuckerman in the early 19th century and operated as a dairy farm. Tuckerman's daughter, Sarah, married neighbour George Simmons, which increased the land area. The unique property overlooks Lake Burrill with broad vistas of the Budawang Ranges and Morton National Park, including Pigeon House. Mountain. The Cupitt family purchased Washburton Farm in 2001. 

We thought if we could make good wine, people would come as it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the South Coast countryside and only minutes from Ulladulla and Milton. The farm had so much potential! So we embarked on our journey to build a business centred around great food and wine and genuine hospitality.

The business has been established for over 15 years (est. June 2007). During that time, Rosie, Griff, their sons Tom and Wally, and Tom's wife Libby have been working to realise their vision of creating a unique food and wine destination and a great workplace.

Wally and Tom also learnt how to make wine and eventually, Wally took over the reins as Head Winemaker and Libby and Tom took over the business and restaurant operations. This freed up Rosie to pursue a long-time passion of cheesemaking. Cupitt’s Fromagerie was born specialising in European-style artisan cheese made from local cow’s milk. Griff happily works the farm raising Black Angus cattle that is brought through to the menu seasonally.

The Family work alongside each other daily, making decisions and enjoying the products they create together. Thankfully, the growth of Cupitt’s means they can work with an amazing team of like-minded, passionate and talented individuals who continue to feed the business with new ideas and their passion for seeing it through is unbridled. Ultimately, the shared goal is to keep making Cupitt’s the ultimate place to escape and connect with people, our products and beautiful surroundings.

Our wines - are influenced by the traditional methods of France and Italy with a focus on making wines that respect their varietal characters and directly represent the region in which they are grown. Our wines are made with grapes grown here at Cupitt’s Estate and NSW regions of Hilltops, Tumbarumba, Orange and Canberra District. 

Our beloved Microbrewery was established by Wally Cupitt in 2014, however, a decision to focus on winemaking led to Liam Jackson joining the Cupitt's Estate team in 2016 as Head Brewer. Liam, a highly accomplished and skilled brewer, pushes the boundaries of beer production while perfecting classic styles that celebrate the craft of finding balance in complexities.

We brew a range of award-winning beers including all the favourites plus some interesting seasonal and cross-pollination blends such as wine and beer co-ferments. It doesn’t get any better than finishing a day under the South Coast sun with a crisp beer while soaking in our breathtaking view. We know how lucky we are to be able to have a brewery in such a beautiful part of the world, and we don’t take it for granted. Sharing our special corner of paradise with you is what we love, so we decided to cement this adoration for location in the best way we know how, renaming our beloved brews. Each of our Core Range now incorporates a reference to place;Milton Pilsner, Ulladulla IPA, Mollymook Pale Ale and the South Coast Session Ale -all available online and to enjoy on tap at Cupitt's Estate.

The Wineryis the heart of the business; it is the reason the family are here; suitably, it is situated in a unique underground “wine cave” beneath the restaurant. Guests can see down to the cave and barrels through a glass viewing portal at the entry to the restaurant. Wine tasting can be experienced by visitors in the ‘creamery’ adjacent to the restaurant every day, 

The Restaurant and Kitchenis the engine room of the business. Without the beautifully prepared and creative dishes from the Kitchen, our products could not stand out (food and wine pairing are highly recommended)

The Cupitt's Estate Brewerywas established in 2014 and is the longest-running brewery in Shoalhaven.

Cupitt's Estate Villasoverlook the eucalypt tree line, perched atop the rolling green hills of the Estate, our luxury Villas are a uniquely stunning experience.

The Kitchen Garden, compost, worm farm, and chickens are in the paddocks adjacent to the cottage and brewery. Please take time to visit and see what is in season. This garden plays an integral part in the creativity of the menu and cocktail list. 

Catch our Black Angus Herdgazing in one of the many pastures. 

Walk through the Sauvignon Blanc vineyardand taste the estate-grown ‘Alphonse’ inspired by 19th-generation winemaker Alphonse Mellot 

We have recently launched a more significantaccommodationaspect to the business, with the introduction of our new Luxury Villas.

Overlooking the eucalypt tree line, perched atop the rolling green hills of the Estate; Our Luxury Villas are a uniquely stunning experience. With our own onsite award-winning restaurant, winery, brewery & fromagerie, we’re quietly confident that your stay at Cupitt's Estate will be like nothing you've experienced at any other establishment.

There are two different types of Villas, Our Estate Villas and also our Estate Bath Villa which feature a freestanding bathtub on the deck.

Cupitt’s Estate also hostsLive Music at our weekly Sunday Sessionsand has done so for over 10 years. Visitors can also join us for Live Music everyFriday!

Our award-winning restaurant near Milton and Mollymook on the NSW South Coast follows a farm-to-table philosophy. We grow a vast range of vegetables, fruit and herbs on the Estate all year round, and use fresh, seasonal produce in our menu wherever possible.

Enjoy a casual Alfresco Menu in Dusty's Garden Bar overlooking our incredible views, or dine on our farm-to-table Restaurant Menu in our famous Dining Room.