My parents bought the place on a whim.

They were looking for somewhere to retire at the time – once they saw the land as they drove past, they immediately fell in love with it. Six months later my dad thought to add some vines, and the rest is history. I took the reins after my father passed. We had to consolidate things, and make adjustments to get things running efficiently. My mum, wife, kids and myself all form part of the business. It’s a real team effort to keep the business running smoothly and successfully. Buxton Ridge is an award-winning winery, and produces cool climate, elegant wines. Just a short drive from Marysville, this region has a lot to offer guests staying for a relaxing weekend or those on a short day trip from Melbourne.

We lost a lot of infrastructure and equipment, and few hundred vines due to the fire. We were able to save the buildings and dwellings, but we lost our entire harvest that year. We didn’t really have an option to leave though. We couldn’t sell land due to industry over supply and the GFC – it was the perfect storm of bad luck. There was no benefit in selling or leaving so we decided to stay put and soldier on. We had already invested a lot of time, money, and emotion into the community. I was still working full-time in Melbourne at the time, but my wife was a big part of the community. We had created lifelong friendships, which would have been hard to give up.

The way the town came together after the fires was amazing.

We shared something that many people will never get to experience in their lives, and have an amazing bond because of it. We got to see the best of everybody, which was an incredible thing to witness. These days it’s not so much at the forefront of our minds, but the sense of togetherness still remains. We do celebrate the recovery from the fires, especially as part of our Australia Day parade each year. It is part and parcel for the tourists, because they want to know what happened and how we went about rebuilding the community. But personally I think the locals get the most out of it. It reminds us of how strong we were during the hard times, and showed us what we were capable of achieving by working together.

There are so many great things about the area, like the natural environment and also the man-made attractions. This is what brings people to the area. But my favourite thing is the people. It’s what makes where we live so unique. One of my favourite things to do is relax at Fraga’s Café and read the paper in piece and quiet. We are able to enjoy the little things in life here – but I guess we do take it for granted a bit sometimes.

The area is evolving, somewhat reluctantly.

Change is inevitable, but we want to ensure that it never loses its heart and the feeling of a supportive community when you visit or live here. The town’s personality will hopefully continue to reflect the togethernes and inclusiveness of the community despite the economic progress and construction taking place here.

If you come to the area, make sure you drop in for a free wine tasting or for one of our sumptuous local produce plates! We have sparkling Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Clairet on offer.

Marysville – Wish You Were Here

For more information: www.buxtonridge.com