our story
Beechworth is tiny ... (however) ... the synergy between winemakers, the climate and the variety, is without exaggeration, awesome. Every hectare produces liquid gold.
J. Halliday
In 2014, we decided, as a family, to move to country Victoria. Our 11 and a half acre vineyard sits upon a beautiful 40-acre farm and we feel truly blessed to live and work in such a gorgeous setting.
We dove headfirst into this adventure with a plan to honour nature and grow amazing grapes. It took several years though to find the right vineyard.
Our love of cool climate wines brought us to the Alpines, but even then, the mean daily temperature, soil composition and amount of rainfall had to be just right. After a few false starts, we happened upon gold in Everton Upper. Weathercraft Wine, is the coming together of a dream we had to make great wine sustainably, from vines grown mostly via biological means and we are so excited to be able to share our journey with you.
Nestled in the foothills of the Victorian High Country, only minutes from Beechworth, and metres beyond the Golden Ball bridge, you will discover Weathercraft Wine. The original farm was first settled in the 1870s by a local grazier and was known as "The Big Valley". Three generations of grazier later, a renowned winemaker recognised something unique and purchased a portion of the land.
The winemaker's vision was realised in 1998 when he planted the beginnings of a super premium, single vineyard estate. Until 2017, fruit from the vineyard was only ever sold to high-end wineries for use in some superb wines. However, a 'changing of the guard' saw us making our own wine from the 2017 vintage and establishing the Weathercraft label.
about us
Raquel Jones
WINEMAKER & VITICULTURIST
Childhood experiences can be powerful influences on a person, and in Raquel Jones’ case, it was a childhood spent in East Gippsland helping her father grow fruit and vegetables that has had a profound effect.
That experience grounded the first of many in the agricultural arena. Raquel has since completed her horticultural and viticultural studies, before pivoting to include further tertiary study in wine making.She studiedWine Science at the highly awarded Charles Sturt University, which is noted for its partnership with the wine industry in joint pursuit of excellence for Australian wines and winemakers.
Raquel has come to the field of wine and Weathercraft as a second career, having spent a decade as a successful business owner working in Property Law within the Melbourne CBD before returning to her true passions of wine, cooking and science. The perfect expression of those passions was found in pursuing the dream to make hand-crafted, beautiful wines by co-founding Weathercraft. The final products show Raquel's appreciation for time-honoured European methods of bespoke wine making, made with respect for terroir and a focus on quality.
Raquel has Spanish heritage which drives her to put the Beechworth region further on the map as the premier tempranillo grape region in the country. She pairs her love of food and wine with her hobbies of travel and cooking.
While Raquel attributes her love of food and wine to her Spanish heritage, we think it’s the abundance of fresh produce and Beechworth’s natural beauty that inspires her - and led to the creation of The Winery Kitchen. She now shares her recipes and wine pairings with you:CLICK HERE
Hugh Jones
CO-FOUNDER
Hugh Jones is one of those rare individuals who has fulfilled a substantial life goal that he has held for many years. In his case, it was the desire to one day plant, grow and bottle Australian chardonnay and shiraz from scratch.
As a well-known businessman in the property industry, Hugh is no stranger to building enterprises from the ground up. Over 25 years, he was responsible for founding or co-founding multiple successful property businesses.
Alongside that professional career, Hugh developed a passion for an outdoor lifestyle, travel and of course wine.
Now, the lessons learned from business building and the passions fostered over decades have culminated in the co-founding of Weathercraft. Hugh’s focus on creating fantastic customer experiences and top quality products are reflected throughout the wines and ethos of Weathercraft, including the diligent and highly experienced team he and Raquel have assembled to bring the product to wine lovers locally and internationally.
Away from work Hugh loves spending time with his daughter, taking his boat out fishing and club motorsport, participating in annual charity race days with great enthusiasm.
