Vintage blossoms

Yilgarnia Wines? Peter Buxton and Peg Buxton at their cellar door set to open this year at their Redmond vineyard and wildflower farm.

Peter and Peg Buxton are one of the few new land farm owners who are still on the same property, 40 years later. Peter obtained a diploma in agricultural science in Victoria, followed by a post-graduate qualification in soil conservation. He then worked in soil conservation for Agriculture Victoria for a few years.

In 1963 he came to WA for a holiday and applied for a conditional purchase block.

"To my surprise I got it. I shifted here in 1964," he said.

He worked off-farm at the WA Department of Agriculture in Albany while developing the block at Redmond - first for sheep grazing, later cattle, then wildflowers, wine grapes and the next target, tourism.

In the 1980s they ran 250 breeders and 1000 Dorset crossbred sheep for fat lambs.

"We started with Herefords then crossed to Simmental," Peter said. "After that, calving dropped dramatically with conception rate falling below 85 per cent. So we went back to British breeds."

The Buxtons planted their first flowers - waxflowers and Leucodendron - in 1980 and started to sell flowers two years later.

From small beginnings they now have 50 species including banksia, waxflower, eucalyptus, boronia, agonis, ixodia, ozanthamus, dryandra, grevillia, scholtzia, regilia, verticordia, crowea and three different species of woolly bush.

"We grow what the market will pay for," Peter said.

"There are a few species we are not picking at the moment. We will only pick flowers if the price is right and at the moment waxflowers are making $2.50 a bunch."

The Buxtons used to sell flowers through Albany Farmers Market, but now sell mainly for export - to a wholesaler in Perth.

Peter now regards the Albany Farmers Market as mainly a promotional vehicle for him because locals generally are not prepared to pay for flowers.

"Competition from overseas, especially South Africa and Israel, is a threat because their labour costs are much lower than ours," he said.

Peter sold his homestead block and moved, complete with sheds and plant, to the present site. They now farm 470 hectares of which about 20ha are for wildflowers and 10 for wine grapes.

From 1972 to 1982 he was a partner in an early vineyard in Mt Barker where he gained experience and his enthusiasm for wine was triggered.

He planted grapes on land after it had been in pasture for five or six years. Yilgarnia Wines had its first vintage in 1995-6.
"Plenty of land is suitable for grapes," Peter said. "We could expand to 30-40ha.

"There is plenty of good quality water from four soaks. The water conductivity averages only 17 millisiemens.

"We give the grapes a small irrigation at veraison then top up later."

The latest development is a new tasting room scheduled for opening later this year.

The room has spectacular views across West Cape Howe and the Southern Ocean.

Included are kitchens and toilets so the building can be used for functions.

Even the bottle store is designed for multiple uses. Its industrial vinyl floor could double as a dance floor.

"The cellar door will only retail the noble varieties - Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot," Peter said.

"I'm not keen on gimmicky new grape varieties. They don't have depth of flavour and they are difficult to sell.

"The varieties in the region are different from the same varieties grown in South Australia, for example.

"There is more variation in wine within the region than between varieties."

"Semillon is a very unknown variety in this region.

"We grow exceptionally good Shiraz that won silver and bronze medals at the Qantas Mt Barker Wine Show.

"Our Chardonnay won gold at Perth Royal Show this year and our Merlot silver and bronze."

They also produce a port, made from 100 per cent Shiraz grapes, which is only available at the cellar door.

The Buxtons specialise in sparkling wine, making three - sparkling Shiraz, a sparkling Chardonnay called Remembrance, and sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon.

"The Cabernet Sauvignon has enormous palate length," Peter said.

"We have also made a straight pink Cabernet, which is not yet in bottle. It is spending 18 months on lees."

The Buxtons' winemaker is James Kelly, of Harwood Estate, Denmark.

With the cellar door nearly ready to open and the advantages of nearness to Denmark, panoramic views and abundant wildflowers, Peter reckons 2009 year will be the year of tourism for Yilgarnia.

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