Who Julia Vesval, Destination Brand Manager for All Saints Estate & St Leonards Vineyard, Rutherglen.
Wearing? I was a last minute addition to the 2014 Sweet Cycle ride. I literally came up with my “vintage” outfit in minutes but I was going for French-inspired flair. I’ve always wanted to wear my red woollen beret so this was the perfect occasion!
Your bike? I bought it last year to explore the Rutherglen wine region. It’s a hybrid Avanti Discovery and is well suited to both the road and the unsealed country tracks that surround the town. I’ve been riding it to local farmer markets, down to the river and even to work on warm summer days.
Going? We’ve stopped to have lunch on the Sunday Creek Bridge at Pfeiffer Winery.
Why ride? I’ve bought my bike because I’m conscious about my carbon footprint and my health. I try as much as I can to swap the car for the bike, especially if I’m travelling locally. Our North East Victoria region is probably one of the best I’ve come across for bike rides of different sorts and levels; I just didn’t want to miss out. Each ride is different, I try to mix things up, change routes and I always seem to discover something I hadn’t seen before. It’s exhilarating.
Favourite ride It would have to be the Rutherglen-Wahgunyah bike trail. It takes you across the countryside to fantastic local wineries, provedores and restaurants. But the section I like the most is the back way to St Leonards Vineyard from the town of Wahgunyah. It’s a shaded track that runs along the banks of the Murray River and leads you right to the vineyards.
While riding you…? I always look up and down to see how the nature has changed from the last time I did the same ride. I feel like a big kid on a discovery mission.
This article originally appeared in issue 15 of Treadlie Magazine.