Making Wine & Produce

It is the dream of many to own a vineyard and to grow and make wine. The vision of waking up each day and looking over lush green vines and then relaxing at night enjoying a nice ‘home-made Red (or 2)’ was always on the wish-list for Tom and Deb. With a long running passion for good wine, the wine making hobby began many years prior to living fulltime at the farm. Initially starting with assisting friends with a vineyard in Balnarring, and later at Warburton, building the infrastructure and planting vines was early on the ‘things to do’ list. Commencing, over 15 years ago, with the planting of Pinot Noir (synonymous with the Gippsland region) and then later followed by Shiraz. A 3rd smaller vine growing area was cleared some years back (potentially for Riesling) but not utilized.

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The vines today are well established and thriving, with approximately 300 Pinot and 300 Shiraz, and in a good year have yielded over 600 litres of Pinot and 300 litres of Shiraz. In the early stages the grapes where picked and transported to the vineyards of friends and added to, or made separately, at off site locations. A few years later, Tom & Deb complimented the Vineyard with the establishment of a small well-equipped winery on-site, then the fun began.

The Winery is neatly located under the main house next to a robust well insulated Cellar that comfortably holds around dozen bottles in temperature protected space. The Winery is small but well laid out with a sink and drainage area and adequate storage. Wine making equipment includes a de-stemmer/crusher, hydraulic press, a number of varying stainless steel and FlexiCube barrels, pump, bottle wash, corking machine and capper.

Making wine has become a ‘Wooreen’ inclusive activity with the many wonderful neighbours excited to be actively involved in the harvest, preparation and bottling of the Wine. Annually the team gathers to join the various working bees required to harvest and produce the wine and then stay on and enjoy the following social gathering over good food and wine to celebrate the achievement. One of the most enjoyable aspects is the ‘annual tasting and naming’ where everyone involved in the Vintage tastes the wine, provides comments and from this a Black Duck Farm label is developed. It is this inclusive approach that has endeared Tom and Deb, and Black Duck Farm to the Wooreen Community.

Some Label examples

Situated in Wooreen, Tom Daffy & Deb Brown at Black Duck Farm produce wine that reflects the authentic regional characterists of Sth Gippsland. This 2018 vintage, nick-named “collaboration”, was grown and made 100% on-site with help from amazing special friends & neighbours. Earthy in colour and offering good length, this Pinot has initial aromas of sweet musk and further delights with a ‘zesty’ fruit tang of green apple peel plus a hint of pepper & spice. Luscious with food or its own!
Situated in Wooreen, Tom Daffy & Deb Brown at Black Duck Farm produce wine that reflects the authentic regional characterists of Sth Gippsland. This 2018 Shiraz vintage, nick-named “celebration”, was grown, picked & made 100% on-site with the support of special friends & neighbours. Rich purple in colour and creamy soft to finish, this expressive Shiraz offers layered aromas of liquorice/aniseed, followed by the decadent flavours of dried plum and fig. Time will only intensify this gem!
Situated in Wooreen, Tom Daffy & Deb Brown at Black Duck Farm produce wine that reflects the regional characteristics of Sth Gippsland. This 2019 Pinot vintage, nick-named “community”, was grown and made 100% on-site with the unwavering support from amazing special friends & neighbours. An extremely dry summer delivered smaller grape bunches resulting in more intense flavours & colour. Still authentic in style, this Pinot Noir delights the palette and stirs the senses. A perfect complement to any meal or enjoyable on its own.
Situated in Wooreen, Tom Daffy & Deb Brown at Black Duck Farm produce wine that reflects the authentic regional characteristics of Sth Gippsland. This 2019 Shiraz vintage, nick-named “triumph”, after a year full of personal challenges, was grown, picked & made 100% on-site with continued support from wonderful friends & neighbours. An extremely dry Summer resulted in a smaller grape harvest ripening with a full and robust flavour. They say ‘good things come in small packages’ and this approachable Shiraz is a delicious wine for all seasons.

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Keen to reconnect with both nature and healthy living, significant investment was also made in the planting of an extensive orchard of 40+ fruits trees (Apple, Nashi Pear, Plum, Apricot, Peach, Nectarine, Peacharine, Cherry, Quince, Fig, Lemon, Lime and Almond) along with a large patch of flourishing Raspberries and Strawberries. Homemade produce, jams, pickles, chutneys as well as preserved & dried fruits are a staple at the Black Duck Farm household and make wonderful gifts for neighbours and friends.

A flourishing Olive Grove was also planted, with over 40 plus olives trees. The majority of trees (Frantoio or Paragon), are for olive oil production, with about 6-8 trees for eating olives. A good crop of olives can produce many litres of olive oil (produced off-site) at a professional olive grove near Dumbalk. Utilising the winery facilities, Tom & Deb have bottled the oil in the past for personal use and again for friends and family. The Black Duck Farm olive oil is extremely good quality and very flavour some.

Last but not least, is a small but compact Vegetable garden close by the house, accessed by stairs near the back door. Here a wonderful array of home-grown vegetable and herb produce is nurtured and enjoyed annually. Currently the garden is planted for winter, and spring ahead, with Silverbeet, Cauliflower, Broccolli, Asian Greens, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Snow Peas, Leeks, Red Onion and Garlic. Just finishing are Butternut Pumpkins, Beans and Chilli’s. Garden herbs include Kaffir Limes, Bay Leaves, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Chives and Parsley.

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