Josef Chromy Cellar Door & Cafe
The Josef Chromy Cellar Door and Café was established in 2006 within the original 1880s homestead on the property overlooking a picturesque lake and vineyard beyond.
Relbia was not a well-recognised sub-region of the Tamar Valley Wine Route at that time despite being among the most bucolic rural settings and only ten minutes’ drive from the centre of Launceston. For this reason, a trendy café was integrated into the cellar door to not only attract tourists for tastings and wine sales during the warmer months but also to service locals with dining and wine sales all year round.
This strategy proved to be a success as the cellar door and café became an authentic local dining experience which tourists enjoyed just as much as the award-winning wines.
After only four years the cellar door was awarded among the Top 10 cellar doors in Australia by Wine Business Magazine in 2010. It also won the Launceston Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards for 'Outstanding Visitor Attraction' three years running, before entering the Hall of Fame in 2013.
The cellar door and café had become so popular and profitable that Josef and his team realised the potential for hospitality to significantly increase margins in the wine business. The hospitality offering was then expanded with a new restaurant and function centre in 2012.
