Our Vine Change Story
Life can lead you anywhere. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
“I grew up on a Queensland farm and later somehow found myself working senior HR roles in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. A drink was hard to come by in both places. Necessity being the mother of invention I set to work mastering the art of small batch winemaking in my kitchen. Transforming imported South African grape juice into ever more palatable wine. Guided by advice from a Spanish colleague who knew a thing or two about fermentation, it wasn’t long before the expat community elevated my efforts to ‘First Growth’.
Bernadette and I met in Qatar and frequent trips to the great wine regions of France, Italy, Germany and Spain shaped our utopian dream. A little place in the country surrounded by vineyards. Where the seasons set the pace, allowing us to ease into the relaxed conviviality of wine country life.
Our vine change led us to high country of Moppa in the Barossa Valley. Hardly a place you’ll find on the tourist maps, but easily home to some of the world’s best Shiraz. At the end of a dusty country road lined either side by skyscraper high pine trees you’ll find a small Shiraz vineyard and a simple cottage. Home base for us, our dogs Molly & Ruby, and our family wine business. Surrounded by Barossa ‘wine royalty’, this is where we grow grapes and make our own delicious wine. Guided and assisted by our neighbours and friends and the wonderful Barossa wine community.”
Matthew Grayson – April 2024
Where did the passion
for wine start?
After leaving Qatar, I moved to Saudi Arabia for 7 years. Of course, alcohol was not available so many of the expats learned to make their own wine from available South African grape juice.
Matthew’s first attempts were, let’s just say ‘interesting!’
It wasn’t until a colleague whose family was in the Spanish wine industry, gave Matthew the “recipe”. From then on, Matthew’s wine became very well known among expats and cemented our interest in the wine industry.
It also helped that Europe was only a 6 hour flight so I visited many wine regions and sampled some of the finest.
So how did I end up in
the Barossa Valley?
I was so ready to leave the Middle East and I really wanted to do something earthy and different.
My love for the relaxed atmosphere of vineyards and wine continued to grow, so I decided to buy a vineyard.
I searched and searched for a vineyard across many countries and regions. But when I drove down Pine Drive I was struck by the beauty of the lane lined by Pine trees and knew I had found my own slice of heaven.
