4 Ways To Help Fire-Affected Strathbogie & Macedon Ranges, Bendigo Wineries

Did you know tourist destinations devastated by natural disasters can take anywhere from one to 90 months (7.5 years) to re-attract visitors?

You may think you're doing the right thing, staying well out of the way, but while some places do take years to rebuild, the severe, long-term drop in visitor numbers creates a second economic disaster for the entire community and region overall. 

Here are four meaningful ways you can help the wineries and surrounding communities affected by the catastrophic January 2026 fires of the Strathbogie Ranges, Macedon Ranges and Bendigo. 

1. Buy directly from the fire-affected wineries

Purchasing wine, merchandise or online gift vouchers directly from wine producers helps keep cash flowing into their businesses when tourism and cellar-door visits slump due to recent fire impacts. 

Strathbogie Ranges' Fowles Wines (pictured), for example, lost 300 acres of vines, hundreds of sheep and their family home, Elgo Estate lost their entire vineyard, and Still Moon Wine lost 70,000 bottles while the region suffered 100% vine crop failure for the 2026 vintage.

In the Macedon Ranges, BlackJack Vineyard lost 95% of its bottles due to the bushfires that destroyed the Harcourt Cooperative Cool Stores south of Bendigo, where they and approximately half a million wine bottles by other wine producers were kept.

If you want to make a difference, buy wine online from their own website or from their cellar door, and sign up for their wine club sign-ups, which puts funds straight into rebuilding and day-to-day operations. 

2. Donate to established local relief funds

The 2026 Victorian Bushfire Appeal has been set up by the Victorian Government to support individuals, families and businesses impacted across the fire-affected areas.

One hundred percent of your donation to this fund goes straight into community recovery efforts, from helping small businesses bounce back to supporting affected workers and families. 

3. Participate in “buy local” campaigns

Online initiatives such as Shop 2 Support Bushfire Communities spotlight small regional businesses affected by bushfires. Through this platform you can:

• Buy virtual accommodation or products to support cash flow.

• Pay forward services (e.g. coffee vouchers) that local customers can redeem.

• Discover and support regional producers and tourism experiences.

4. Plan regional travel and cellar door visits

Booking a weekend getaway, wine-tasting visit with accommodation in these wine regions brings direct tourism revenue: a vital lifeline for local hospitality and wine industries. Even if you make an off-season visit, your bookings will help stabilise income that’s been lost due to fire-related cancellations and reduced visitor numbers.

See wineries in Strathbogie Ranges, the winemakers of Macedon Ranges and Bendigo cellar doors you can visit.