Black Springs Vineyard, Beechworth
In the early days of my photography craze I’d often get up pre-dawn and drive in the direction of Beechworth. I’d then drive around madly, as the best early-morning light came and went, looking for something to photograph. I’m a terrible pre-planner. On one of these mornings, having driven in the vicinity of Giaconda, Saveterre and Castagna on the Wangaratta–Beechworth Road, I stopped at the sight of a newly-planted vineyard on the most exquisite of sites. I then trespassed, foolishly – for which I am now regretful – around this vineyard, camera in hand. At some point a 4WD, which belonged to an owner of this vineyard, came screaming in to shoo me off (quite rightly).
This was in February 2019. I was shooting with a Nikon D850 with a Tamron 24-70 (mark I) lens at the time, both of which pieces of equipment I owned for a brief time only, and both of which I regret selling (the D850 in particular, courtesy of its status as The Last of the Great DSLRs). I didn’t know it at the time, but this vineyard was the Black Springs Vineyard, which has since been employed by the Traviarti, Sentio and Foreign Friends brands, and no doubt by others. The wines coming off this vineyard are uniformly excellent. Reviews on The Winefront of wines from this vineyard will appear, and be added to, here.
It has to be said that while I regret the unauthorised intrusion – and can’t imagine doing such a thing now – I do like the fact that the ‘birth’ of this vineyard was photographically documented. It has the hallmarks of becoming an important vineyard, if it’s not already.
Indeed I wish more vignerons would get me out to document their vineyard lands. But that’s a matter for another day.
