The Story of The Big Wine Bottle
Wine bottles come in different shapes and sizes, but The Big Wine Bottle in Rutherglen is probably the largest you’ll ever see. This oversized wine bottle is located in Rutherglen, Victoria and has a rich history.
The giant ‘wine bottle’ was constructed in 1900 as a water tower and held approximately 72,000 gallons. The tower supplied water to different households and industries within the town for more than four decades.
In 1945, it stepped down and assumed the role of a backup supply following the construction of a new reservoir in the area. However, The Big Wine bottle was never forgotten; in December 1969, a mesh top section was erected on the water tower to depict a giant wine bottle.
The mesh was erected with funds from the Rutherglen Wine Festival, now known as Winery Walkabout. Many years later, the massive wine bottle still attracts visitors to the town.
At the base of the larger-than-life bottle, visitors can enjoy exceptional views of Mount Buffalo and Chiltern Ironbark Forest. The scenic environment is also perfect for picnics, photography, cycling, or simply taking a moment to rest and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Speaking of wine-inspired Big Things of Australia, there’s also another Big Wine Bottle fixed atop a vintage truck at the Daly Waters Historic Pub in Daly Waters, ACT. In New South Wales, you’ll find The Big Wine Barrel at McWilliam’s Wine Hanwood Estate, Hanwood.
And, lastly, there was The Big Wine Cask found at the BRL Standley Winery in Buronga, Mourquong, a locality in New South Wales. Before its disappearance, travellers voted this massive wine cask the best tourist attraction in the locality. It measured 8 metres high, 7 metres wide and 11 metres long!
