Black and Ginger

The Black & Ginger story begins with two friends from Perth; Hadyn Black, a winemaker working in Great Western in the Grampians wine region and Darcy Naunton (the Ginger), an entrepreneur based in Sydney. Their friendship began in 2002, after attending the same high school and has developed further with a common bond and love of enjoying the great outdoors, particularly the area around Great Western and the Grampians. In addition to camping, four-wheel driving and fishing trips, Black and Naunton have spent their time in and around the vineyards and wineries of Great Western. Exposure to notable wineries such as Best’s and Seppelt, the primary pillars of the town, grew into a desire to create a wine of their own. In 2015, they took the leap and purchased one tonne of grapes from renowned vineyard, Malakoff Estate, located in the foothills of the Pyrenees Ranges and known for its outstanding quality Shiraz and they have continued to produce high quality wines since.

The Black & Ginger brand is symbolic of the contrasting background of its founders. The stark contrast of the colour palette and the integration of stylistic cues of old and new, representative of two friends. Friends who’s daily lives could not be more different yet have found a common passion for wine and the outdoors. Black, a Victorian country boy in his early days, returned to his roots to pursue his love of wine; and Naunton, raised in Perth, moved to Melbourne then Sydney to pursue a career in finance and technology, have found a connection around their love of wine.

In recent years, Black & Naunton have done a bit of soul searching. After almost 10 vintages they’ve narrowed in on who they are as winemakers. They are realising their place as the next generation of winemakers that are dictating the trends rather than following them. Black & Ginger is a brand that pushes the Grampians region to its limits and that pushes the boundaries of what the local region is capable of. They experiment with varieties, methods and styles to produce something different. Their confidence as quality winemakers lets them take the weird and wonderful grapes of the region and produce something that is neither typical of the Grampians nor what you would expect of the varietal.

With the ability to source locally from growers to drive these experiments and with Hound Run Vineyard in Rhymney to grow their own, they plan to double down on the things their customers love and will plant more different varietals to ensure future production for the Black & Ginger brand. These handcrafted wines will be made from grapes tended to with love in their own backyard.

Black & Ginger do not currently have a cellar door however its home is located at Hounds Run Vineyard on the outskirts of Great Western, where guests can stay in a boutique off-grid and sustainable Tiny House accommodation with 360-degree views of the region. Black & Ginger wines can be purchased online direct or through a number of stockists regionally and in Melbourne.

Visit  Hounds Run Vineyard to book your secluded Grampians getaway.