Yarrh Wines collaborates with Cubby and Co on tiny homes (and tipples) with an authentic sense of place

A trip out to the region’s wineries just got better with Yarrh Wines unveiling two tiny houses created by local business Cubby and Co. The two tiny houses offer an intimate way to experience the natural surroundings of the Murrumbateman winery.

Yarrh Wines produces wines from their own vineyard on site in their rammed earth and straw bale winery. Winemaker Fiona Wholohan uses a ‘gentle hand’ with low-intervention techniques to allow the grape’s natural characteristics to shine through.

Vineyard manager Neil McGregor has implemented a sustainable approach to growing grapes through composting, mulching and limiting the use of artificial inputs.

In case you were wondering, ‘Yarrh’ is a local Aboriginal word meaning running water: guests reach the winery via a winding road through stringybark forest trees and over a creek.

The two Cubby and Co tiny houses reflect this sustainable and minimalist approach with a strong focus on locally sourced, natural building materials to create spaces that sit lightly in the landscape. Cubby and Co founders Erin Wilson and Daniel Discipio collaborated with Bridget McShane (McShane Studio) to create the tiny homes as well as working with Fiona and Neil.

“It’s been a super collaborative process,” Erin told Region.

“Fiona and Neil really know the land so well in terms of light, aspect, and water run off, so we spent a lot of time with them choosing the right location. It’s a working vineyard, so it was important to balance the needs of the guests with the work of the vineyard.”

The two cubbies are named Kira and Mawson: Kira after Yarrh’s first farm dog and Mawson as an homage to Neil’s father.

Kira features a cosy bed nook that boasts vineyard views, with recycled timber sliding screens for privacy. The space has a warm, earthy palette and the exterior is clad in rose gum, which will change colour over time to blend in with the surrounding gum trees.

Mawson reflects the eucalypt colourings of the surrounding bushlands with deep greens and yellows and is clad with blackbutt timber to match the nearby black stemmed wattles. The high-ceilinged space integrates seamlessly with the outdoors with an open shower connected to the deck.

Erin describes the colour palettes as “modern Australian bush style”, explaining that they wanted the dwellings to complement and blend with the surrounding trees.

Erin and Daniel said that working with Neil and Fiona was a collaborative experience that saw the two duos become friends. They met by chance in 2019, and the project has been evolving ever since.

“Neil’s help with tractors and machines and Fiona’s listening ear and sense of humour turned what could have been challenges into shared memories,” said Daniel.

Erin told Region that she and Daniel have formed a friendship with the couple over the years they spent on the project. They helped them renovate their cellar door, Daniel has come out to help during the harvest, and she has spent time bottling wines with Fiona at the winery.

“They’re just fantastic people to work with, very giving and very kind,” she said.

The new Mr Natural range features three wild-fermented wines, which are an authentic expression of the vineyard, and guests in the tiny houses can enjoy wines from Yarrh adjacent to the vines where those grapes were grown. Fire pits are provided for use between May and September (fires outside of this time frame risk tainting the flavour of the grapes with smoke), and meals can be enjoyed in town or bring food to prepare in the kitchenettes and enjoy on-site under the stars.

Cubby and Co also built a tiny house and two bell tents at Mount Majura Vineyard. They’re hoping to work with other vineyards in the future but are pausing now to appreciate what they’ve created.

Yarrh Wines is located 45 minutes from Canberra at 440 Greenwood Road, Murrumbateman, NSW.

Visit their website and follow Yarrh Wines on Facebook or Instagram.

Visit Cubby and Co for more information about their tiny homes, and follow them on Instagram.