Story by Michael Harden, Photos By @inkdfotogrfa.daylesford

It’s doubtful a dose of the flu would figure in too many business plans, but for Clay Watson, the flu helped launch his business. Bed-ridden in his Daylesford cottage one weekend, Clay was working on the website
for a vague idea he’d been playing around with about starting a company specialising in bespoke tours of local wineries. In his delirium, Clay inadvertently published the website. The next day, he started getting enquiries. When his wife Renai asked him what he’d done, Clay replied: “We’ve just started Daylesford Wine Tours, babe – we’d better buy a bus”.

Lesser mortals may have been thrown by such an abrupt entry into the world of small business but both Clay and his wife are actors and so have been on crazier rides. Clay had roles in the Hollywood blockbusters The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and so had experienced the kind of rollercoaster ride that level of exposure can bring. In a way, it was what led him to Daylesford.

Clay had returned to Australia to slow things down a little after five years in LA. He met Renai on an acting job in Sydney and then moved with her to Melbourne after Renai landed an acting gig there. One weekend they made a trip to Daylesford. The moment they hit the main street they both knew they could live there.

“We never really left in our minds after that rst time and packed up everything, bought an awesome little mining cottage and set up our lives in Daylesford,” says Clay. “I managed the Palais for a while and Renai was at The Perfect Drop (now closed unfortunately) which was a great way to meet all the locals and create an amazing circle of friends.

“It was also a great way to meet the local winemakers and creators and I was immediately blown away by their humble natures and sensationally clean produce. Coming from humble beginnings in and around wineries in South Australia, I was always in awe of these magicians and very surprised that there wasn't a service touring the Daylesford cellar doors.”

Others were obviously surprised too. Daylesford Wine Tours quickly went from a part-time, weekend only deal to a seven day a week venture. The original bus tours are going strong but there’s also been an upswing in corporate bookings for events like Tour de Trivia that include local tastings and trivia as team-building exercises and Chirstmas office tours. And the original bus has been joined by a stretch BMW.

Clay’s not surprised that the interest is so strong.

“People are blown away by how clean and hands-on the produce is around here,” he says. “The grapes are handpicked, there’s a minimal amount of spraying and minimal amounts of sulphur used in the winemaking process. Our clients love that you can have a good drink and not feel crap the next day.”

Then there’s the private, bespoke nature of the tours. During the week, many of the cellar doors are not open to the public but Clay has keys and leads the tastings himself with help from his black Labrador Maizy. At other times, the winemakers are on hand to take customers through the wineries, offering barrel tastings and winemaking secrets. Daylesford Wine Tours also work in partnership with local businesses like the Farmers Arms, Renewal Massage, Peppers and Lake House.

Both Clay and Renai are still in the acting game but two young kids and a business means they’re choosy about the jobs they accept.

“And we love working alongside these producers,” says Clay. “To be honest, we don’t like leaving Daylesford too much these days.”

Daylesford Wine Tours
86 Vincent Street, Daylesford 5348 1823 daylesfordwinetours.com