04 Jul 2017 North Central Review (Kilmore), Melbourne (General News) A $1.15 MILLION investment in Seymour by family owned winery, Wine by Sam, will create 10 local jobs and increase regional tourism by an estimated 10,000 visitors a year. Wine by Sam is a family owned winery in the Strathbogie Ranges that has invested in the old Dye works facility in central Seymour to grow its business and expand wine production and sales. The project includes a new cellar door which will provide Seymour with a significant new wine tourism experience, and repurposes a former industrial site in the centre of the town. Wine by Sam currently exports into markets including the United Kingdom, United States of America and China, with the new investment to also lead to increased exports of Victorian wine. The project has created 15 construction jobs during its construction, with the cellar door now operational and attracting new visitors to Seymour. Wine by Sams chief winemaker, Sam Plunkett, is planning wine masterclass events to further encourage wine tourism as well as develop wine education and knowledge in Seymour. The success of the project and the visitation it is creating is likely to encourage further private sector investment and town centre revitalisation in Seymour. Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes visited the new Seymour facility last week to see firsthand what the investment through the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund had achieved. Two-thirds of Victorian wineries have a cellar door, giving visitors an opportunity to experience Victorias wine first-hand and Wine by Sam is an example of Victorias robust and diverse wine industry that has more wineries than any other Australian state, including small boutiques, family corporates and large companies, Ms Symes said. Ms Symes said she hoped international tourists would add Wine by Sam to their holiday destination. Victoria welcomed 2.7 million international visitors who spent $7.3 billion in the 12 months to March, with some of the strongest growth in visitors occurring in our regions. Spending by tourists in regional Victoria is up by 28.2 per cent compared to the national average growth of 4.7 per cent. Holidaymakers also chose to spend more time enjoying the best of country Victoria, with the number of nights booked growing by 20.1 per cent outshining the national average regional growth of 1.7 per cent. Caption Text: Good drop: Wine by Sam business director, Bronwyn Dunwoodie and Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, discuss the merits of the latest vintage. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.