Black & Ginger Wines is the sister wine label to Hounds Run vineyard. The label is a collaboration between Hounds Run co-owner and winemaker Hadyn Black and his good mate Darcy Naunton (the ginger), an entrepreneur from the big smoke. The two met in high school in 2002 and share a passion for the great outdoors and great wine.

Hadyn and Darcy aka Black and Ginger, enjoying a drop in the Vineyard at Hounds RUn

The idea of staring their own wine label developed over many camping trips and four-wheel driving adventures, and in 2015 the friends launched Black & Ginger with the purchase of 1t of Shiraz grapes from the renowned Malakoff Vineyard in the neighbouring Pyrenees wine region.

Multiple vintages later, Black & Ginger produces award winning wines from fruit grown across Victoria, including the Grampians, Great Western, Pyrenees and Henty regions. As well as further afield such as the Alpine Valleys and Murray Darling, they even dip across the border into South Australia and source some varieties from the Riverland. The label has also produced a signature wine from Hounds Run, using the Shiraz grapes pruned and hand-picked by Hadyn’s mum Lily, in the first year. The first vintage, 2017 Lily’s Block Shiraz received 94pts and a 5 star rating in the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion and Black & Ginger have since only produced a 2021 and 2022 vintage, with the promise it will only be made in the very best years.

Lily’s Block Shiraz

Made with 100% Certified Organic Shiraz from Hounds Run Vineyard. Named in honour of Hadyn’s mum Lily.

Black & Ginger have released several new wines since prefering to experiment with alternative varieties from the region and further afield. With a desire to share the states best (but not necessarily the most well known) grapes with wine lovers, the range captures the meeting of tradition and innovation that defines the label. The latest releases include a Gewürtzraminer, Graciano, Nebbiolo and the label’s first rose, Lucy's Rose, named for Hounds Run co-owner and Hadyn’s wife Lucy.

Check out the full range of eclectic and small-batch wines available at Black & Ginger, and stock up for those spring and summer picnics, dinners and celebrations we can look forward to.

Hounds Run owners Lucy and Hadyn first met in Melbourne and became housemates in 2013. Hadyn had just returned to the city after working a vintage in California’s Napa Valley and Lucy had returned after several years working in advertising and production in Sydney.

The two developed an instant rapport and what started as a friendship quickly developed further. They began dating but it wasn’t long before Hadyn was offered a vintage job in the picturesque town of Great Western, in the iconic Grampians wine region 220kms northwest of Melbourne. He fell in love with the area during vintage, and after multiple contract extensions decided to move there semi-permanently. Lucy was now firmly based in Melbourne working for her family business Kazari, importing antique and vintage furniture from Japan, China and Indonesia and travelling frequently to source pieces for Kazari’s retail stores.

Lucy was also spending more and more time in Great Western, visiting whenever she could and finding it harder and harder to leave the beautiful surroundings. As the couple fell in love, they hoped for a way to overcome the challenges of a long distance relationship. In 2016, after receiving photos of a property for sale and a half-joking text from Hadyn asking if she wanted to buy a vineyard, Lucy’s answer was a resounding yes.

What started as a joke and a dream quickly turned into a serious proposition. After viewing the property in July 2016, the couple couldn’t contain their excitement. Captivated by the stunning views of the Grampians ranges and the potential of the farmhouse, vineyard and surrounding land, Lucy and Haydn put in an offer. It was accepted and by December 2016 they were the proud owners of the property in Great Western. Hadyn moved in straight away however it would be two years of weekly commuting from Melbourne until Lucy was able to secure a suitable job in the area and move permanently.

Hounds Run July 2016

Two others were equally excited about the move - Hadyn’s dog Paddy (a slender greyhound whippet cross) and Lucy’s dog Hunter (an enormous Irish wolfhound x stag-hound). Hadyn acquired Paddy as a pup after moving to Great Western, and Hunter was a Christmas present from Hadyn to Lucy while she was still living in Melbourne. As a puppy, he spent his days sleeping in a washing basket in Lucy’s office (until he promptly outgrew it) and now weighs 63 kilos at full size. The dogs had become best friends during Lucy’s many visits to Great Western, and were overjoyed to become a family and start racing around the 230 acres (96 hectares) of the property. Hadyn soon came up with the name Hounds Run and Lucy agreed it was the natural choice for their new home.

The couple were granted access prior to settlement and the realities of owning a vineyard quickly became apparent. As the vines had been neglected and poorly maintained they spent every weekend before settlement hard at work. Pruning the overgrown 30 acres (12 hectares) of half merlot, half shiraz vines was no mean feat. The vineyard had originally been established for bulk grape production but the couple were determined to reinvigorate the vines and continue producing with a focus on quality rather than quantity.

Realising this vision was and continues to be a learning curve for the couple (especially city girl Lucy), as it takes a full year between vintages to determine what has or hasn’t worked. They have embraced the challenge and learned a great deal about the lifecycle of grapevines (and the many other tasks required to maintain and develop a large property) since taking over in 2016. Currently, the grapes from Hounds Run are sold to multiple producers in the Grampians region and the property features a tiny house available to rent for quiet getaways via Airbnb and Riparide with more accommodation options on the way, including a converted vintage Melbourne tram.

Written By Catherine Seccombe

Blog

Our sister wine label - Black & Ginger Wines

Introducing Hadyn and Lucy

Hounds Run Vineyard

Tell us what you think!