Winemaker Hadyn Black (the Black of B&G) just wants to make yummy wines to drink with mates.
For a bit of backstory; after growing up on a farm in Western Victoria, he started work in wine at a high-end bottleshop in Melbourne, writing tasting notes. Always keen on the lesser known varieties that came through the door, Hadyn quickly decided that he wanted make the stuff.
Following vintages at Giant Steps Winery in the Yarra Valley and Galli Estate in Rockbank (where he first started working with alternative grape varietals like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo), Hadyn completed 2 stints in the Napa Valley in California. On return to Aus, he worked with some of the oldest vines in the world at Best's Wines Great Western and set up digs in this small winemaking village in the heart of the Grampians wine region.
Despite being known for its more traditional varieties, Hadyn was impressed with the diversity of grapes available in the area. After discussions with longtime friend Darcy Naughton (the Ginger) over many wines and 4WD camping trips, the duo decided to do their own thing and launched the Black & Ginger label in 2015 with the purchase of 1 tonne of Shiraz grapes from the Pyrenees.
These days, Hadyn is still buying lesser known varieties when he goes to the bottle-o, and discovery and exploration is at the heart of the wines he makes for B&G. The ‘virtual winery’ approach enables experimentation and the flexibility to buy interesting small batch grape varieties from Victorian growers, rather than being limited by what you might grow yourself. The result is an ever evolving range of small batch wines to be enjoyed now.
Have fun, try everything. Enjoyment is the key principle in Hadyn’s winemaking and he wants to make delicious wines that everyone can enjoy, anytime. People can be nervous about trying new varieties or combinations they haven’t heard of, says Hadyn, and B&G’s mission is to break down those barriers.
