Dara Dozen
The Dara Dozen has become a much-loved tradition, and after a two-year break, we’re excited to announce the 2026 edition!
We’re offering a delicious selection of wines from local wineries connected to the Daramalan community, with prices held at 2022 levels. Seriously!
This year, we have a few exciting new additions. First, we’re introducing a range of non-alcoholic wines from Altina Wines. We’ve also welcomed several new local wineries to the initiative, including Mount Majura Vineyard, Selecta Wines, and Vineyard 1207. And, of course, many of our loyal supporters are back!
Best of all, all profits go towards the Scholarship Fund, which provides vital support to families of current students whose financial circumstances would otherwise prevent their child from attending the College.
For any questions or enquiries please email
alumni@daramalan.act.edu.au
The generous support of 11 Canberra wineries, all with strong connections to the Daramalan community provides the opportunity to buy local and support the scholarship fund at the same time.
Clonakilla
Clonakilla is a family business established in Murrumbateman by John Kirk. Developing a vineyard and winery business was originally a weekend distraction for John.
However, the journey from the first plantings in 1971 and the Canberra region’s first commercial vintage in 1976, to fortuitously planting the rare Viognier grapes in the mid 80’s has led to continued growth and success of the winery, particularly through the development of Clonakilla’s flagship wine, the Shiraz Viognier, now celebrated as one of Australia’s great reds.
John Kirk, now in his 90th year, can still be seen monitoring the progress of his beloved vineyard during his weekly visits. Longstanding CEO and Chief Winemaker, John’s fourth son Tim, has now passed the CEO role to his brother Stephen. Tim retains the Chief Winemaker role with continuing responsibility for vineyards and winemaking. John’s sons Kiaran, Michael and Jeremy join John, Stephen and Tim on the Clonakilla Board with Kiaran as the board chair.
In addition to the long family association with the Canberra wine region, the Kirk family also have a strong history with Daramalan. All six Kirk boys attended Daramalan during the 70’s and 80’s, and Clonakilla has provided ongoing support to the Daramalan Scholarship Fund in recent years.
Mount Majura Vineyard
Mount Majura Vineyard has a unique place to grow wines. The challenge is to honour and express the site. They do not stand still nor rest on the laurels. Mount Majura Vineyard challenges the status quo while continuing to master the wines they have already successfully created.
Sparkling, Riesling and Tempranillo wines have gained acclaim, and they will always work to hone these wines further. It’s an ongoing quest for the highest quality. The space they push into is the search for new varieties, new expressions and a modern interpretation of their vineyard. Mount Majura’s wines are a contemporary take on a time-honoured craft.
These are hand made wines shaped from pruning each individual vine in the depths of winter to hand picking the best fruit at harvest. Vineyard’s team is intimately connected to each parcel of fruit from vineyard to winery, to bottle.
“These are the wines we are proud to share at our cellar door, in the best restaurants around the country and in our homes with our friends. We invite you to share them too.”
Given its proximity to the school, it is no surprise that the winemaker at Mount Majura Vineyard, Jeremy Nascimben, is also a current Daramalan parent.
Selecta Wines
Selecta Wines is a small business run by four Daramalan alumni: Lang Stratton, Matthew Kingma, Mark Rusanov and Lachlan Carey.
It began in 2016 when Lang’s parents purchased a property on the outskirts of Canberra that included a small vineyard and cellar door. Their plan was to operate the business throughout their retirement.
Shortly after COVID restrictions were lifted, Stratton’s parents, the owners of Norton Road Wines, gave the four friends a parcel of fruit to produce a small batch of their own wine.
Selecta Wines’ winemaking philosophy is simple: minimal intervention and natural wine production.
It is a passion project, producing small batches and run by four mates and two parents who have taught them most of what they know.
Sapling Yard
Sapling Yard wines are hand crafted using grapes sourced from a boutique vineyard in Braidwood together with the finest quality fruit carefully selected from premium vineyards in Murrumbateman, Lake George, Hilltops and the Tumbarumba regions.
Carla Rodeghiero is Sapling Yard’s owner and winemaker, planting the first vines in 2008, and making her first vintage in 2012 in her Bungendore backyard shed.
In 2019, Carla along with highly awarded Canberra District winemaker Malcolm Burdett, moved Sapling Yard’s winemaking to the dormant Lake George Winery, at the bottom of the Cullerin mountain range.
This move enabled Sapling Yard to expand the production quantity, while maintaining the quality the wines are known for.
Grown and harvested in inspiring cool climate surroundings, Sapling Yard produces wines of great flavour and elegance, such as Sparkling, Riesling, Rose, Chardonnay, Gamay, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Shiraz Viognier.
Carla’s children, Mia, graduated from Daramalan in 2022, and Erin, currently attends Daramalan, with Carla and her siblings following in their father’s footsteps as students at Chevalier College, our sister MSC school in Bowral.
Capital Wines
Capital Wines was established in 2008 and purchased in early 2020 by Bill and Maria Mason and Colin and Kay Andrews. The cellar door is in the village of Hall in the ACT.
The majority of the fruit for Capital Wines comes from the Jeir Station Vineyard in Murrumbateman, owned by Colin and Kay Andrews. Depending on the vintage, Capital Wines also sources fruit from neighbouring vineyards and wine regions.
The Capital Wines brand draws on the association with Canberra and life in the National Capital. The label designs are wry, irreverent and humourous takes on life in the National Capital. While we at Capital Wines don’t take politics and life in the National Capital too seriously, we do take and make our wines very seriously. Capital wines has won a number of medals at wine shows and are regularly reviewed positively by Australia’s leading wine writers.
The Mason Family and Kosciuszko and Capital Wines have been strong supporters of the Daramalan Scholarship Fund events over the years. Bill and Maria’s four children, Zachary, Zoe, Zarah and Zane all completed Year 12 at Daramalan and Bill was Daralaman Rowing Club President for a number of those years.
Vineyard 1207
Vineyard 1207 is a boutique winery nestled on a sheltered slope in the heart of Murrumbateman Cool Climate Wine country. This family venture commenced in 2018 with the purchase of the established vineyard. We are now producing outstanding handcrafted products enjoyed by a growing customer base.
Situated on 80 acres, Vineyard 1207, has almost 6 acres under vine featuring Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay varieties.
The vineyard is situated on a rocky slope facing north to north-east, ranging in elevation from 610m – 660m. The vines were planted in the 1990s and are well established.
Brett is the winemaker at Vineyard 1207. Brett is a qualified chemical engineer with over 20 years’ experience in the food industry and a very long love affair with wines. Making wines has been his lifelong goal and he has taken to the ‘art’ like a duck to water. Brett’s winemaking philosophy is to produce a wine that people will enjoy and to genuinely reflect the unique characteristics of the vineyard from which the grapes originate.
High on the hill at Vineyard 1207 stood this strong and determined tree. A silent sentinel keeping watch over the vines and welcoming visitors. Close to 100yrs old before it died and continuing as a watchful guardian for many years after its death.
Affirming its significance for the Vineyard 1207 family, after almost a century, the tree fell over in a storm the day Brett’s mum passed away. The logo is a now wonderful way to honour the memory of both.
Altina – Non Alcoholic Wines
ALTINA creates delicious non alcoholic wines, infused with beautiful botanicals. Our non-alcoholic wines have been named among the best in the world at the World Alcohol Free Awards and we have won numerous other awards highlighting that our alcohol free drinks are better for you.
Alan and Christina (AL-TINA!), partners in life and business, started ALTINA in 2018 because of their experiences with the Aussie drinking culture.Altina’s passion and purpose is to bring you the very best non-alcoholic drinks in Australia (and beyond!).
Dionysus Winery
Dionysus Winery is owned and operated by Michael and Wendy O’Dea. Michael is a former student at Daramalan attending in the 1970’s.
Based in Murrumbateman, Dionysus a family business that commenced in 1998 with the planting of a 10 acre vineyard and construction of a winery soon after. The Cellar Door opened in 2003.
The wines made include: Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay; Riesling; Viognier; Chardonnay; Rose; Gamay; Pinot Noir; Tempranillo; Shiraz Viognier; Cabernet Sauvignon; and Botrytis Riesling. These wines have all won Wine Show Awards and top ratings by Wine Reviewers.
Dionysus Winery has a 5 star review on Tripadvisor and is one of the major attractions in Murrumbateman. As well as great wine the Cellar Door offers a range of tasting and food packages which can be enjoyed inside, under the pergola or in the Sculpture Garden.
Kosciuszko – Wines of Tumbarumba
Named after the highest mountain in Australia, Kosciuszko Wines reflects the elegant, high altitude cool climate wines of Tumbarumba, the often snow-bound wine region closest to the Snowy Mountains. Kosciuszko Wines is owned by the Mason family. Bill Mason has been involved in the production and marketing of wines in the ACT and Southern New South Wales since 2004.
Tumbarumba is considered one of Australia’s leading cool climate wine regions, with research in the late 1970’s revealing an uncanny similarity to Dijon’s climate in Burgundy, the home of the world’s great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
In Kosciuszko Wines, Bill has brought together pioneering grape grower Juliet Cullen and leading winemakers Robert Bruno, Alex McKay and Greg Gallagher. The grapes are grown in the Excelsior Peak vineyard in Tumbarumba. This ‘terroir’ produces wines with a beautiful ‘mouth-feel’ with intense colour and flavour.
The Mason Family and Kosciuszko and Capital Wines have been strong supporters of the Daramalan Scholarship Fund events over the years. Bill and Maria’s four children, Zachary, Zoe, Zarah and Zane all completed Year 12 at Daramalan and Bill was Daralaman Rowing Club President for a number of those years.
Wallaroo Wines
Wallaroo Wines is one of the largest vineyards in the picturesque Hills of Hall wineries area, with stunning views over the Brindabellas. Wallaroo Estate is a popular wedding venue, private space for corporate functions and family getaways as well as accommodation in the large Georgian style homestead.
The family-owned vineyard was planted in 1996 by former Foreign Correspondent Philip Williams and former journalist and political staffer Carolyn Jack.
Wines range from gold medal winning Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as classic and elegant Riesling, Rose and Sparkling wines. Apart from our own wine, we also supply iconic brands such as Clonakilla, Nick O’Leary Wines and Gundog Estate with premium grapes.
Wallaroo Wines is named after the historic Parish name of Wallaroo and also for the black-coloured Wallabies called Wallaroos which are found in the district.
While not former Daramalan students themselves, Philip and Carol were very happy to come on board and support the Dara Dozen concept. In his spare time, Philip plays in a band called Willie and the Correspondents which includes lots of past and current Dara connections.
Wimbaliri
Wimbaliri is a small, family-run winery and vineyard, owned and operated by Scott and Sarah Gledhill.
The Wimbaliri name comes from local Ngunnawal language meaning to drink.
All of the fruit used to make Wimbaliri wine is handpicked from single plots within the vineyard, situated near the picturesque village of Murrumbateman.
The first vines were planted in 1988 and the average age of the vines is now nearing 30 years. Varieties planted are Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir Cabernet Franc and Viognier.
Scott is a 6th-generation descendant of German vinedressers. He believes every wine has a distinctive flavour and aroma, the inherent result of the vineyard site and the growing season. Showcasing distinctive and individual character in a wine is his ongoing quest as a winemaker.
Sarah draws upon her extensive science background and travels through Europe’s oldest winemaking regions when at work in the vineyard and winery.
Scott is a Daramalan Alumni from 1989, with three sons: one graduated (2023), one is currently attending College, and one is about to start with College.