This is the title of an article by Max Allen in the Financial Review on 4th April 2025, written in recognition of the first Pinot Meunier produced from the Pinot Meunier block at Barwon Ridge.

Our Pinot Meunier journey started in 1868 when cuttings were taken from the Barrabool Hills and planted Best’s Great Western. These vines are still alive today and produce the famed Best’s Old Vine Pinot Meunier. They also provided the cuttings which were planted at Barwon Ridge in 2018.

For the last couple of years we have been using the Pinot Mutineer as a component in our Sparking Brut but in 2024 I decided that the vines were mature enough to have a go at making a still table wine from half of the fruit. The result is the 2024 Dusty Miller.

Why Dusty Miller? The name is a nod to the grapes ancestors. Pinot Meunier was known by the Swiss wine growers who brought the vines to Geelong in the early C19 as Millers Burgundy, due to the white dusting on the back of the leaves that looks like milers flour.

Max’s review of the wine:

2024 Barwon Ridge Dusty Miller, Geelong

First vintage from young vines but already has lots of character and

complexity. Mid-weight, autumnal berry aromatics, a touch of

undergrowth, elegant soft fruit, approachable and light-footed, but with a

nice undertow of savoury, earthy tannin. Very limited: just 50 cases made.

Read Max’s article at https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/one-of-australia-s-newest-vineyards-has-been-150-years-in-the-making-20250325-p5lmcr

To buy the wine go to: https://barwonridge.com.au/shop/

From when we bought Barwon Ridge in 1998 Joan and and I were committed to improving the sustainability of the whole property.

Over the years with the help of friends we carried out extensive revegetation and protection of indigenous habitat. As a natural extension to this commitment I undertook the training and auditing necessary for Barwon Ridge to be recognised as a sustainable vineyard.

Barwon Ridge is now a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and was the first vineyard in Geelong to be certified as sustainable under the internationally recognised Freshcare certification.

The process has been an exhaustive but satisfying way to review, quantify and improve whole-farm and particularly vineyard practices as diverse as biosecurity, spray use, energy and water consumption, biodiversity, waste management, record keeping and soil management. Happily I found that I was already meeting many of the requirements while the changes identified through the training will further improve the way Barwon Ridge is managed.

The next step is to keep the process going by maintaining current practices and looking for ways to further improve. There are annual self assessments and a three yearly external audit as part of the quality control process.

Read more about Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.