Month / Aug 2017

by brandsa2018

Adelaide hair salon cuts out gender inequality

By Melissa Keogh

A woman with a pixie hair cut walks into a hair salon and how much does she pay?

Well, chances are she’ll pay more for a wash, cut and style than her short-tressed male counterpart, and an Adelaide hair studio has had enough.

FÖN SALÖN on King William Road, Unley, says it’s the city’s first gender neutral salon, meaning hair cut prices are dependant on the time spent completing the service and the technical difficulty involved.

Its equal price list means a female with a buzz cut will pay the same as a short-haired man, while the same goes for a long-locked man who wants a typically more time consuming blow dry and style.

FÖn

FÖN SALON  stylist Brady Paterson and owner Alex Totani.

Adelaide has a long history of gender equality milestones, including being home to Australia’s first and the world’s second university to allow women to study academic courses.

South Australia was also the first Australian state to allow women to vote, while it was also home to the country’s first female judge.

Despite the progressions over past decades, FÖN SALÖN owner Alex Totani believes Australia’s hairdressing industry is falling behind in gender equality.

“The hairdressing industry is segregating males and females and we aren’t moving forward,” she says.

“There’s a gap in the industry and it’s not fair.”

Alex says she was inspired to introduce the gender-neutral price list after paying nearly $100 for a hair cut at an interstate salon despite having short hair.

“Because I was a female I was still charged a female price even though I had a buzz cut,” she says.

Alex says clients have responded positively to the concept.

FÖN SALÖN is Adelaide's first hair studio to introduce a gender-neutral price list.

FÖN SALÖN is Adelaide’s first hair studio to introduce a gender-neutral price list.

“Females love it and the guys respond really well, they are happy to pay it (if they have long hair) because they are getting a good hair cut and service,” she says.

“Pixie cuts are all I’m doing right now.

“It’s so empowering that women aren’t as worried about having long hair.”

FÖN SALÖN was established two years ago and is inspired by the arts, culture and architecture of Berlin, Germany, where Alex spent time as a freelance hairdresser.

In 2015 FÖN (which means hairdryer in German) won the Design Hair Expo’s Best Salon Design Award.

FÖN also supports local artists who hang their artwork on the walls and this month Adelaide artist Charli-Anne’s custom pieces can be spotted at the salon as part of the SALA Festival.

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Barossa businesses have each other’s backs

By Melissa Keogh

Six Barossa Valley businesses have combined forces to produce a campaign that aims to boost regional pride and local economic development.

Beautiful flowers, scrumptious food and a homestead once used as the set for beloved Aussie TV drama McLeod’s Daughters are just a few of the ingredients used in the four-minute promotional film clip which officially launches in September.

The campaign features Barossa Styling and Events, Kingsford Homestead, Matthew Dwyer Studio, Viva the Flower Store, Winestains, and Zoe Campbell Photography and Design.

Kingsford Homestead offers five-star luxury accommodation.

Kingsford Homestead, used as the set for McLeod’s Daughters, offers five-star luxury accommodation.

It shows each business arranging their products – the florist with her foliage, Winestains with its cheeseboards crafted from wine barrels – before settling down to share a feast at the Kingsford Homestead.

Winestains creative director Kristal Spencer is spearheading the campaign, which she says was inspired by Totally Locally.

Totally Locally is a social enterprise movement that allows local businesses to share branding and marketing tools to spread the importance of shopping locally to boost the economy.

“I felt it would be a great way to showcase what each business does while highlighting our great region and ideally showing the local and wider community what we’re capable of,” Kristal says.

“It can be a bit of a hard slug for small businesses, so having this collaborative approach can help each other out as well as enhance the region.”

Bethany Hannay from Viva the Flower Store.

Bethany Hannay from Viva the Flower Store.

The video and imagery will be published on each business’ website and social media channels.

Kristal says the collaborative approach allows the businesses to share the limelight instead of just one business showcasing its own products and services.

“The end goal would be to bring each business front of mind to our audiences, showing what we’re capable of and highlighting each of our skills and expertise,” she says.

“We all love where we live and (are) proud to showcase our beautiful region and the many thriving businesses developed within it.”

Chelsea Honner from Barossa Styling + Events.

Chelsea Honner from Barossa Styling + Events.

Williamstown photographer Matthew Dwyer donated his time and skills to shoot the campaign, a show of generosity Kristal says is typical of the Barossa Valley community.

“I’ve always felt collaboration is key in small business and you see many amazing businesses taking a step towards this,” she says.

“I love seeing new ways that businesses can look to work together.

“This was just one idea I hope will move forward into many more.”

Watch the video below.

Heading to the Barossa Valley this weekend? Check out our top five picks for the Barossa Gourmet Weekend – an event that attracts thousands of foodies and wine lovers to the region every year.

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Adelaide DJ bringing old school back

By Melissa Keogh

South Australian DJ and electronics technician Medhi El-Aquil’s old school-inspired DJ mixers are in high demand from sound appreciators worldwide.

From his workshop in Blackwood, the English-born craftsman manufactures analogue rotary mixers bought by DJs and nightlife venue owners in Paris, New York and London.

His company Condesa Electronics is well-known by disc jockeys, but also those who want to simply reconnect with the high quality sound only a handcrafted mixer can bring.

Rotary mixers – popular in the days of vinyl records – have analogue volume unit (VU) meters, circular controls and are minimal in their design.

Medhi with his rotary mixers which are in hot demand by DJs and sound appreciators across the world.

Medhi with his rotary mixers which are in hot demand by DJs and sound appreciators around the world.

Medhi says rotary mixers – which are used to transition from one song to another and to control sound output – offer more character and soul than mass-marketed, digital equipment.

“I think there’s a problem in the industry in that most people think that what is new and digital is better sounding, but that’s a misconception,” he says.

“Digital mixers can be more flexible and do more than the rotary mixer, but the quality is not as good.

“So there’s a trade-off … a rotary mixer isn’t as perfect and clinical as a digital mixer, but it’s got more character and there’s something special about it.”

Raised in the UK in the 1970s and ‘80s, Medhi was always tinkering with audio and recording equipment.

He left school at the age of 16 to undertake an electronics apprenticeship that mainly focused on security systems.

“There was a little bit of an audio component in it and I was always interested in that side of things,” he says.

Medhi has also DJ’ed at nightclubs on the Spanish party island of Ibiza.

Fourteen years ago he relocated from London to Adelaide with wife Kerrie, whose parents are Australian.

Medhi says the pair was drawn to Adelaide to be closer to family, as well as the lower cost of living and laid back lifestyle.

“The cost of living here is cheaper, so there’s not as much pressure to be working longer hours and I’m never stuck in traffic,” he says.

“All of these reasons are why I’m here.”

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Condesa Electronics mixers take 12-16 weeks to construct.

Six years ago Medhi completed the construction of his first rotary mixer, taking him one-and-a-half years.

It went to a Melbourne buyer before a second order came in, followed by a third and before long Condesa Electronics was born.

Medhi’s mixers are bought by clubs and sound studios in Scotland, the UK, America, Japan, Korea and Mexico, as well as popular musicians such as electronic duo Disclosure.

“They seem to be much more of a personal thing sold to people who appreciate them,” he says.

“We put hours and hours into making them. They are built to last decades.”

Condesa Electronics has a team of four staff who help construct the equipment, made from steel and sustainably-sourced wood – either Tasmanian oak or Australian blackwood.

Medhi can also be found filling eardrums with beats at popular Adelaide CBD nightspots Udaberri and Bank Street Social.

He hopes appreciation of classic, old school music gear will live forever.

“When we started making the mixers, they weren’t really a trend, but it’s actually grown in popularity,” he says.

“I intend to keep making them as long as there’s demand and I hope there will be.”

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Conquering the world of couture

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide fashion designer Paul Vasileff was just 11 when he stitched his first gown – a light purple, bias-cut satin frock inspired by a picture in a magazine.

Fast forward 16 years and the couture king, who heads Adelaide high end dress label Paolo Sebastian, has reached a level of success most fashionistas would only dream of achieving.

Despite Paolo Sebastian boutiques existing in New York, Singapore and Shanghai, as well as a clientele list featuring the likes of Kim Kardashian, Paul says Adelaide will always be home.

“It still shocks me when people ask me ‘are you planning to move?’ he says.

“We aren’t going anywhere. I’m in Sydney for two days and I can’t wait to get home because I love it here.

“We show in Paris and Paris is amazing, but nothing is home except for Adelaide.”

Dreams and fairytales inspire Paul’s whimsical and romantic bridal and special event gowns that feature on runways across the globe.

The handmade gowns are renowned for their feminine silhouettes, expert tailoring and princess-like lace and embellishments.

Each dress begins with a sketch before the design is handcrafted by Paul and his team of dressmakers at his Gouger Street atelier.

“I’ve always been inspired by story books, fairytales and old Hollywood since I was a kid,” he says.

“For me, fashion should offer a sense of a dream for the client. When you put on a dress you should be transported into the highest version of yourself.”

Paul Vasileff at the Paolo Sebastian headquarters on Gouger Street, Adelaide.

Paul Vasileff at the Paolo Sebastian headquarters on Gouger Street, Adelaide.

Paul fell in love with the needle and thread as a teenager, taking sewing lessons and learning techniques from his Italian grandmother.

In 2007, the then 17-year-old launched the first Paolo Sebastian collection with 63 garments sewn with a domestic sewing machine in his parents’ living room.

Before long it was clear the young designer was destined for the world of couture when he travelled to Milan in 2010 to study at world-renowned design house Istituto Europeo di Design.

“I did that when I was 19 and that was a really hard experience for me because I was quickly removed from my family and my friends and everyone who had ever supported me and what I loved,” he says.

“I kind of realised how lucky we are here in Adelaide.

“So I thought I’m going to finish my study, I’m going to take what I’ve learnt here, bring it back to Adelaide and implement it in Adelaide so that we can benefit from it.”

With the power of social media and word of mouth among brides who fell in love with his gowns, the Paolo Sebastian team has grown to 18 staff.

In 2014 Paul received his first big nod from Hollywood, after becoming the first Australian designer to dress a celebrity for the Oscars red carpet.

In 2016 he was the first South Australian designer to showcase in Paris with his couture collection Gilded Wings.

In January 2017, Paul received the ultimate pat-on-the-back when he was named Young Australian of the Year.

Despite these highlights, Paul says he often faced doubt about his ability to run a successful couture label outside of a fashion capital.

People told him Adelaide wasn’t the place to make his fashion mark and that he must move elsewhere.

But with the support of friends, family and “the whole state”, Paolo Sebastian gowns hang in closets worldwide from Australia to the Middle East.

“When I first started it was hard and a lot of people said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to do this, you’re going to have to move or you’re going to have to work with someone else, your dream is just not possible’,” he says.

“I’ve had the whole state behind me since day one. The success of Paolo Sebastian isn’t just mine.

“We’re only successful because of South Australia.”

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Carrapateena mine to create 1000 jobs for regional South Australia

By Melissa Keogh

A jobs boost is set to be delivered to regional South Australia following OZ Minerals’ decision to green-light Australia’s largest undeveloped copper project.

The Adelaide-based mining company announced board approval of a $916m investment in the Carrapateena mine, which will create 1000 jobs during construction.

The copper-gold project will take place about 160km north of Port Augusta and is set to become the state’s second biggest copper mine after Olympic Dam.

Carrapateena is expected to begin producing copper by late 2019 and OZ Minerals is predicting an output of more than 65,000 tonnes a year.

It’s also predicting an annual production of 67,000 ounces of gold.

Carrapateena’s copper concentrate is expected to be among the highest grade on world markets, while production costs are expected to be among the lowest.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill says the board approval is another show of confidence in the State’s economy, following recent announcements including the Tesla giant battery and Port Augusta’s solar thermal power plant.

“This copper project showcases the importance of the resources sector to the South Australian economy with investment in Carrapateena creating local jobs, infrastructure and opportunities for Aboriginal participation,” he says.

“OZ Minerals should also be applauded for the way in which it has partnered with the Kokatha people to ensure that the traditional landowners also benefit from this major investment.”

Construction began in November 2016 on the ‘Tjati Decline’ a 7500m long, 600m deep tunnel that provides access to the copper-gold deposit.

The opening of the Tjati Decline attracted much media attention in November 2016. PHOTO: OZ Minerals.

The opening of the Tjati Decline attracted much media attention in November 2016. PHOTO: OZ Minerals.

Tjati is an Aboriginal name for a gecko that lives in the region.

The SA Government funded 50% of the original drilling program.

Approval has already been granted under the Mining Act for an accommodation village and airstrip.

The mineral lease application is still under assessment by the State and Federal governments.

Main photo: Oz Minerals CEO Andrew Cole, left, Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Chris Larkin and SA Premier Jay Weatherill at the Carrapateena site last year. Image supplied by OZ Minerals.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support jobs in our state.

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Adelaide’s Orana is Australia’s best restaurant

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide food hero Jock Zonfrillo’s Orana has been crowned Australia’s best restaurant, marking the first time in two decades the Gourmet Traveller award has gone to a restaurant outside Sydney and Melbourne.

The Rundle Street establishment was named Restaurant of the Year at last night’s Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.

The gala dinner, held in Sydney, is considered the night of nights in the hospitality world and celebrates the release of the 2018 Australian Restaurant Guide.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Jock commended the Orana team for taking the award for South Australia.

“For the last 16 years I’ve been on a journey and to tell you the truth it’s one I never knew I’d have to make,” he says.

“I’m saying that it’s called a journey because you cannot know what you will discover, what you will do with what you find, or what you find, will do with you.

“One of the things I have found is the most amazing team who don’t just work at a restaurant, they are part of something so much bigger making it our journey and I can’t thank them enough.

“I love each and every one of you, thank you so much for all the hard work, dedication and sheer tenacity involved in bringing this award home for #southaustralia.”

Restaurant Orana in Rundle Street is renowned for its intimate setting and 18-sdf

Restaurant Orana in Rundle Street is renowned for its intimate setting and 18-20 course degustations featuring native produce.

Scottish-born Jock is renowned for ‘foraging’ and using native ingredients in his dishes, but also for his work with indigenous communities.

Earlier this year, his Orana Foundation announced it was working with the University of Adelaide to form a native wild foods database.

With the help of a $1.25m SA Government grant, the database will drive research and determine how native foods can best be produced commercially.

Orana – which means ‘welcome’ in some Aboriginal languages – offers 18-20 course degustations featuring native produce such as lemon myrtle, green ants and ruby saltbush berries.

Four other SA eateries made the top 100 of the Gourmet Traveller list including Magill Estate (14), Hently Farm (50), Botanic Gardens Restaurant (54) and Africola (56).

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Look out USA! Beerenberg sauces are on their way

By Melissa Keogh

South Australian sauces will soon hit supermarket shelves in California after much-loved jam and condiment maker, Beerenberg, caught the eye of a US distribution giant.

The sixth-generation Hahndorf farm is releasing six of its Slow Cooker sauces in 100 Californian independent supermarkets by October.

The sauces will be distributed to stores across the Golden State by US giant United National Foods Inc.

The Slow Cooker sauce range, which includes a Spanish chicken, French chicken (coq au vin), and Cuban mojo pork sauce, aims to add convenience to classic, slow cooked dishes.

Beerenberg marketing director Sally Paech says the sauces were launched in Australia last year and were an instant hit.

“We were so happy with it and people were raving about it, there hasn’t been a premium offering like this that gives you a really beautiful meal,” she says.

“You add (the sauce) to your protein and other pantry items and put it in the slow cooker.

“There’s nothing on the market that offers a slow cooked sauce so we saw a gap in the market.”

The sauces are designed to add convenience to slow cooked meals.

The sauces are designed to add convenience to slow cooked meals.

Beerenberg also exports its products to South East Asia but Sally says the United Foods shipment was the company’s first “big order” to the US.

She hopes it will kickstart success in the American market but says the world of food exporting can be tough.

“It’s a really competitive environment,” she says.

“We produce jams, sauces and dressings, which are all different products in different parts of the supermarket and we’re competing against multiple brands.”

Sally says the majority of Beerenberg’s exported products are single-serve portions, such as small jams, which are distributed to hotels and airlines.

The company is also in the midst of a multi-million dollar expansion to its Hahndorf site.

A new warehouse and offices have been built near the existing building and a new factory is also under construction, expected to be completed by mid-2018.

Sally says the expansion was necessary as product demand has increased significantly.

“Our factory is flat chat, it was built in the 1980s and it’s not big enough for what we need to put out onto the market,” she says.

Beerenberg is behind more than 90 products.

Many of the ingredients used in the spreads and sauces are grown at the 81ha Hahndorf farm including strawberries, chillies, gherkins, plums and quinces.

The Beerenberg family Robert, left, Sally, Carol and Anthony Paech.

The Beerenberg family Robert, left, Sally, Carol and Anthony Paech.

Beerenberg is headed by three Paech siblings, Anthony, Robert and Sally, alongside their mother Carol.

Their father Grant Paech, who passed away in 2015, founded Beerenberg in 1971 after launching a roadside stall selling strawberry jam made in the family’s kitchen.

In 1987 Beerenberg struck a deal with Qantas for mini jam jars to be supplied to passengers.

As the years rolled on the small company grew to become an Australian household name.

Grant also pioneered the pick-your-own-strawberries concept which lures thousands of visitors to the Hahndorf farm to pick their own fruit.

The strawberry fields will soon be scattered with hungry fruit pickers, as mid-October marks the typical start to the strawberry season.

The Beerenberg Slow Cooker range is available at independent supermarkets nationally, at the Hahndorf farm shop and online.

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Stringing success with Adelaide’s guitar man

By Melissa Keogh

For 30 years Adelaide craftsman Jim Redgate has strummed the right chord with some of the world’s most accomplished classical musicians.

From his southern suburbs home studio in Port Noarlunga the plumber turned Elder Conservatorium of Music graduate designs and handcrafts classical guitars, loved by the industry’s best.

When one of the world’s most talented young classical guitarists, Ana Vidović, was handed one of Jim’s guitars before a performance she was so impressed she played it for the entire concert.

Despite his rise to fame in the classical guitar making world, Jim says he has never felt the need to move his business away from South Australia.

Jim Redgate in his Port Noarlunga workshop. PHOTO: John Laurie.

Jim Redgate in his Port Noarlunga workshop. PHOTO: John Laurie.

“I’m from here, my family is here and I think it’s a fantastic place to live,” he says.

“There’s not really any reason for me to go interstate.”

Jim didn’t grow up in a musical family and didn’t discover the guitar until the age of 15, the same time he left school to become a plumber.

After completing a four-year plumbing apprenticeship, he decided to switch it up by studying a degree in classical guitar performance at Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music.

Before long his craftsmanship skills crept into his musical interests and he became curious about the makings of a guitar.

“My trade background was always still there and the guitar looked like it would be something interesting to make,” Jim says.

“My father was a tinkerer so I had an upbringing where I was always making things in the shed.”

Jim crafted his first guitar on his kitchen table in 1985.

Drawing inspiration from fellow SA craftsmen, namely the late Bryan de Gruchy, and harpmaker Tim Guster, Jim settled into life as a luthier.

Jim Redgate's South Australian made guitars are highly sought after by musicians around the world.

Jim Redgate’s South Australian made guitars are highly sought after by musicians around the world. Image credit: dmportraitcouture.com

“The guitars that I was building had a bit of an Australian feel about them in terms of materials and colours,” he says.

The modern-style classical guitars are made from internationally sourced materials, in addition to Australian blackwood from SA’s South East and Tasmania.

Jim is renowned for making double top guitars, the sound boards of which are made from two thin sheets of timber separated by a man-made, honeycomb-like material called Nomex.

Retailing between $11,000-$15,000, the double tops are lightweight but powerful in sound clarity, are tailored to the customer and take months to create.

“I’ve never had to advertise, it’s all through word of mouth,” Jim says.

“I tend to make between 12 and 15 guitars a year.

“The finish with the shellac takes more time than building the guitar, but it’s about 100-160 hours all up.”

Jim is also involved in the Adelaide Guitar Festival, a four-day biennial event that is fitting for Australia’s first and only UNESCO City of Music.

The event is curated by renowned Australian guitarist Slava Grigoryan, a proud user of Jim’s guitars.

Apart from influencing the development of the classical guitar with his modern methods, Jim also makes his mark on Adelaide’s live music scene as a member of surf band GT Stringer.

He’s a fan of local trusty gig pubs The Wheatsheaf and the Grace Emily hotels and says they play an important role in supporting homegrown music.

“Many world class musicians are from Adelaide and we definitely punch above our weight in terms of talent,” Jim says.

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Adelaide Hills pear cider is world’s best

By Melissa Keogh

Pop the top off a Sidewood Basket Pressed Pear Cider and you’re about to sip on the best dry pear cider in the world.

The team at Adelaide Hills cidermaker Sidewood has good reason to propose a toast this week after winning the World’s Best Dry-Style Perry/Pear Cider at the 2017 World Cider Awards in London.

The cider, made from fruit sourced from Hills orchards, was ahead of 25 entrants including five other Australians.

Sidewood’s Basket Pressed Apple Cider also won a gold medal.

Sidewood owner Owen Inglis says the win was a testament to the passion, hard work and commitment to quality by head cidermaker Michael Redman and his team.

“Our handcrafted cider – fully produced in the Adelaide Hills – has always contained just fresh 100% Adelaide Hills grown apples and pears,” he says.

“Our dedication and desire to producing a pure, fresh product without fillers or sweeteners means we never comprise on quality which has paid us dividends with this award.”

The Basket Pressed Pear Cider is the World's Best Dry-Style Perry/Pear Cider.

The Basket Pressed Pear Cider is the World’s Best Dry-Style Perry/Pear Cider.

Head cidermaker Michael Redman says the win was a pinch-me moment.

“I had to pinch myself. Yes it was real,” he says.

“Now as the dust settles a mad rush is on to make sure we have enough stock on-hand for the impending boom.”

The six-week cidermaking process begins in the orchards with fruit selected for flavour and acidity.

The fruit is then crushed and cool fermented at Sidewood’s Nairne cidery within hours of picking.

Sidewood mills, presses, ferments, cans and kegs at Nairne.

An orchard has also been planted, allowing the company to “take control of the growing process”.

The company says that tests conducted in October 2016 found that Sidewood ciders had one of the lowest sugar contents in the market, with 1.8g of sugar per 100ml.

This is compared to a market average sugar content of 4.56g per 100ml.

The overall World’s Best Cider will be announced in September.

Sidewood is predominantly a winery, with wines made by internationally renowned winemaker Darryl Catlin.

It began cidermaking in 2014.

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Carters create wine and gin with a difference

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide Hills couple Brendan and Laura Carter have pursued a life of passion for quenching thirsts and satisfying even the most cultured of gin drinkers and wine sippers.

Aside from creating some of the most adventurous drops to hit South Australia’s craft beverage scene, the pair is helping maintain the spirits of grape growers across the region.

The Carters run Australia’s only remaining grape-grower’s co-operative label, Harvest, allowing local growers to improve returns on their crops during poor harvests.

Any grower within a 5km radius can deliver their grapes “rain, hail or shine”.

“If we’re in a disease-driven year then we just have to work harder to make bloody good wine,” Brendan says.

“If it doesn’t work out we can still pay them for the grapes and move them to the distillery and turn it into coffee liqueur.”

Laura, 26, and Brendan, 27, are leading South Australia's innovative distilling scene.

Laura, 26, and Brendan, 27, are leading South Australia’s innovative distilling scene.

Operating all their ventures from a 1920s cold stores in Gumeracha, Brendan, 27, and Laura, 26, are also behind Ochre Nation bar, wine label Unico Zelo, and Applewood Distillery.

From Ochre Nation the Carters use native ingredients to create premium, sustainable beverages made from fruit varieties that require minimum irrigation and intervention.

Earlier this year Applewood had foodies in a spin with the limited release of a gin infused with native green ants.

Another big hit has been the Økar, an aperitif made from riberries which are a tart, indigenous fruit.

Whether it’s ant-infused gin or using native jarrah to mature wine and whisky, the distilling duo have set out to create “the most Australian businesses possible”.

Break down their business model and it’s quite simple – just use what you’ve got.

When most winemakers would sob into their oak barrels over a smoke-tainted harvest, the Carters lift spirits by turning it into coffee liqueur.

When a 150-year-old orchard in Montacute Valley spits out a crop of “ugly” disfigured lemons that would otherwise go to waste, the Carters turn it into limoncello.

This waste-not-want-not ethos has led the Carters to be leaders of the beverage game and walking encyclopedias of their industry.

Applewood, Harvest and Unico Zelo products are produced at Gumeracha.

Applewood, Harvest and Unico Zelo products are produced at Gumeracha.

Aside from passion, the pair also has an unwavering commitment to South Australia and say their success would have been impossible to achieve elsewhere.

“SA has such a close proximity to quality produce that it really allows primary producers and value-adding enterprises to thrive,” Brendan says.

“Not to mention the sheer sense of camaraderie that binds all the producers together.”

Both were born in the eastern states but studied in Adelaide – Brendan winemaking and Laura agriculture.

“We have one of the best winemaking colleges in the world,” Brendan says.

“We churn out some of the most amazingly talented winemakers globally.”

Applewood gin makes the most of native Australian botanicals.

Applewood gin makes the most of native Australian botanicals.

The Carters are predicting a boom in state’s craft beverage industry.

“I think it’s entirely reasonable to think that SA (beverage industry), in particular the distilling industry, could quite realistically steamroll the global industry in the next 20 years,” Brendan says.

“With the right management and the right assistance, for sure.”

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