Ange’s father-in-law Malcolm (Dick) Townsend kept a barrel of muscat behind his bar, periodically topping it up with wine from his good friend John Patritti. Dick passed away age 80, and a new generation of Townsends became custodians of the muscat barrel. Continuing the family tradition, we have refreshed it’s contents, very proudly and quite rightfully with muscat from the Patritti Family. We now have our own three level solera system with various sized barrels and maturation.

Dick Townsend (known as the Yodelling Cowboy) was also a winner of Australia’s Amateur Hour – a radio talent show that Australians took to heir hearts. It ran from 1940 to 1958 and has been described as “the largest radio show of all in the 1940’s”

Some episodes of Australia’s Amateur Hour are held by the National Sound and Film Archive in Canberra. Below is a recording of Dick Townsend singing Swiss Mountaineer.

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