What a night! Our 10th birthday bash, Cheers to 10 Years!, as part of the Central Highlands Growers and Producers Hub 2025 Forage and Feast Festival, was an absolute ripper. It was incredible to celebrate a decade of winemaking with our mates, family, and supporters who have been part of our journey from day one.
A Huge Thanks to Our Community
Lucy kicked off the night with some well-deserved thank-yous. First, a massive shout-out to the team at Commerce Ballarat for giving us the opportunity to be part of this fantastic festival—may it keep growing!
A huge thank you to Fushy, Lindsay Fush, our chef extraordinaire—mate, the food was absolutely outstanding! And to Barney’s, our venue for the night, a massive thanks to Col & Susie, Damo & Tash for sticking with the plan and making it happen.
The night wouldn’t have looked half as good without Kate from Wirreanda Farm and Curtis, who styled Barney’s beautifully—what an incredible job! And to the legends at Paper Scissors Rock for keeping a keg of our Shiraz Sour beer aside for this special occasion—if you didn’t try it, you seriously missed out!
A special thanks to Jon Yencken from Greenacres Biodynamics for generously donating three lambs for our event and the meat and wine raffle, which raised funds for the Great Western CFA, where Hadyn volunteers. Thanks also to Toiya and Annie for pouring wines all night—you were absolute stars!
To Danny Fraser, the creative genius behind our new cellar door sign and guest book—what a legend. And to our brilliant local producers—Blue Wren Bakery, Meg & Blakey from Bellellen Grampians Organics, Green Eggs, as well as our talented musicians Dave Nicholson & Dirty Country—your support means everything to us. A big shout-out to Marcus Thomson, our fantastic photographer, for capturing the magic of the night!
Looking to the Future: The Black & Ginger Wine Shed
As Lucy announced, the next big step for us is opening the Black & Ginger Wine Shed right here at Barney’s. We’re beyond excited to finally have a space to welcome you all for tastings, events, and more good times! With that, we’ll also be launching the Black & Ginger Wine Club—so if you want to stay in the loop (don’t worry, we only send emails when we’ve actually got something to say), scan one of the QR codes around the venue or sign up online.
Hadyn’s Reflections: 10 Years of Black & Ginger
Hadyn took the mic to reflect on what an incredible ride it’s been. First and foremost, a massive thanks to Lucy for pulling the night together—she’s an absolute gun at handling our socials, marketing, and plenty of sales too.
A huge thank you to everyone who came out—you're the reason we've made it this far. Black & Ginger has always been about sharing bloody good wine with our mates, and you’ve become part of the family along the way.
We started this journey with just a single tonne of Shiraz from Robert & Cameron John at Malakoff Vineyard, made while I was a cellarhand at Best’s. That first wine went on to win the Consumers Choice Award at a local show—a cracking start! Since then, we’ve produced 14 different wines from 18 varieties across 10 vineyards in 6 wine regions. None of this would be possible without our amazing growers, especially Paul Dakis, who grew the fruit for five of the wines on our menu tonight—thanks, mate!
As Jeni Port from Halliday Wine Companion wrote of our 2020 Cinco (95pts, grown by Paul), “Australian wine producers take note, this style is the future in a changing climate.” We’re proud to be part of this evolution and to continue crafting wines that reflect the land and our vision.
A Toast to the People Behind the Scenes
A huge thank you to every winemaker I’ve worked with over the years—Steve, Ben, Ritchie, Justin, Adam—your guidance has been invaluable. Special thanks to Viv Thomson, a true legend of the industry, and to Tom Guthrie for letting me work out of your winery these past few years.
From that first conversation around a campfire to drinking our own wine by that very same fire, to trekking a bottle up a Guatemalan volcano, to wakeboarding at Lake Fyans with a bottle in hand—we’ve made some epic memories. Wine has brought us together in so many ways, and we can’t wait to create more stories in the years ahead.
The Two Most Important People in This Journey
Before he wrapped up, Hadyn had two very special thank-yous to make.
First, to Lucy, his amazing wife, who not only pulled off this unforgettable night but has been a huge part of BG since day one—she even insisted on making a Rosé, which has become one of our biggest stars (and rightly has her name on it!).
And to Darcy, his mate and business partner—it’s been one hell of a ride. From that first idea to what Black & Ginger is today, thanks for taking the punt and managing the business side of things.
Darcy’s Reflections: The Journey So Far
Darcy wrapped up the speeches by reflecting on how Black & Ginger came to be. He recalled how Hadyn had approached him with the idea of making wine beyond just Shiraz, expressing his desire for more creative freedom in winemaking. Seeing an opportunity to support Hadyn’s passion and vision, Darcy was on board immediately.
For Darcy, the past 10 years have been about watching Hadyn grow as a winemaker, experimenting with different grape varieties, and showcasing what the Grampians region can do. The results speak for themselves, with a diverse range of wines that reflect innovation and quality.
Looking around the room, Darcy acknowledged the 130 people who had gathered to celebrate, noting that their support was a testament to Hadyn’s hard work and dedication. He also took a moment to thank Lucy for everything she does behind the scenes, remarking that none of this would be possible without her efforts.
Darcy expressed his gratitude for being part of the journey and shared his excitement for what’s next.
Here’s to Another 10 Years!
What an incredible night. Thank you to every single person who has supported us, raised a glass with us, and helped shape the journey of Black & Ginger. Here’s to another decade of great wine, good mates, and even better stories. Cheers! 🍷