Tell us in a few sentences about your experience as a viticulturist, how did you arrive here?
The last 20 years in viticulture has been wonderful exploration, after my first 20 years as an engineer in Oil & Gas production.
Viticulture and producing wine, provides a rare opportunity to combine both science and art. Each vintage is a project within itself and yet sits within the long-term context of not only how a wine develops in the bottle, but how the health of the vineyard is maintained and improved.
As a family we now live and work here at our boutique cellar door & vineyard where we have 40-year-old vines next to a larger patch of remanent bush, all within the wonderful Margaret River region – so we are very aware of the vineyard within the context of our environment.
Why did you decide to apply to be an EcoGrower, was there something specific that influenced your decision and/or had you attended a previous EcoVineyards session?
Improving our vineyard health has always been a focus and the opportunity to join in with a wider effort and collaborate was very attractive.
Has there been a defining moment or catalyst for you to move towards more ecologically driven viticultural practices?
Living on our land, looking out to the vines and the remanent bush beyond provides the inspiration to move. I see our family as a temporary custodian of this patch and my job is to pass it on in a better state.