T
hetrajectoryofGembrookHillfromhobbyfarm
tooneoftheYarraValley’smostacclaimedwineries
wasdeterminedinpartbya high-schoolexchange
program.AndrewMarks,sonofJuneandIan,
whohadboughtandplantedtheGembrook
vineyardinthe1980s,spentsixmonthswitha winemaking
familyinBordeauxwhenhewas16.It waslife-changing.
“Myfatherhadalwaysbeena Francophileandlovedwine
andhada vineyard,soI wantedtospendsometimeina wine
regioninFrance,”saysAndrew.“I stayedwitha familylikeus
whowerehavinga goodlifeonthewineryandthatmadea
hugeimpressiononme.It lookedlikea goodwaytoliveyour
lifeandis whatpushedmeintowantingtobea winemaker.”
Andrew’sdecisionmadehisparentsseetheirvineyardin
a newway.“WhenAndrewdecidedtostudywinemaking,we
thought:thisis justa hobbyfarmbutnowwehavetobecome
serious,”saysJune.“That’swhyweplantedmanymorevines,
tomakeit bigenoughsothatAndrewwouldbeabletomake
anincomefromit.Weweredelightedwhenhedecidedto
bea winemaker,butwewouldn’thavebecomesucha serious
enterpriseif hehadn’tmadethatdecision.”
Workinginthefamilybusinesswassomethingofa
tradition. Ian Marks was a dentist and worked in his father’sdentistrypracticefordecades.Thelandat Gembrook,at
thesouthernmostpointoftheYarraValley,washispassion
andAndrew,hissistersandhismotherspentpartofevery
weekendthere,helpingwiththebusinessoffarming.
“OneyearonChristmasmorningweweren’tallowedtoopen
anypresentsbeforethewholefamilywasoutinthevineyards
liftingvines,becausethatwaswhenit hadtohappen,”says
Andrew.“Dadwasa perfectionistanda taskmastersometimes,
butI wouldnothavebecomea winemakerif I hadn’tbeena
memberofa familythatplanteda vineyardfromscratchwith
thepurposeofmakingthebestwinepossible.”
WhenIanpassedawayin2017,Andrew,whohad
alsoestablishedhisownwinelabel,TheWanderer,and
theMelbourneGinCompany,foundhimselfincharge
ofthefamilybusiness.
“I’mveryawareofmyfather’slegacyeverydayI’minthe
vineyard,”hesays.“Itdoesn’tmeanthatthingscan’tchange,
butthatwefollowhisleadindoingthingstherightway.”
Junestilllivesat GembrookHill,activelyinvolvedin
thebusiness,frombookworktotasting.Shealsocookslunch
forthesmallworkcrew.JustaswhenIanwasalive,everybody
gathersat thediningtableandeatslunchtogether.“Being
ina smallfamilybusinesscanbedifficultbecauseyou’re
alwaysinit,butsittingaroundthefamilytablehavingfamily
lunchesandmakingdecisionstogetheris a realprivilege,”
saysAndrew.“I considermyselfluckythata lotofmyadult
lifeI’veknownmyparentsverywellandhaveinherited
bothvisionanddrivefromthem.”
GembrookHill, 2850 LaunchingPlaceRd,Gembrook,
Vic, (03) 5968 1622, gembrookhill.com.au➤June&AndrewMarks
GEMBROOK HILL, VIC
by Michael Harden
Fromleft:June
andAndrew
Markswith
theirdog,Milou;
the GembrookHill
vineyard.GOURMET TRAVELLER 67