Falling into place

Andre always had a brain for science, but it was the lifestyle that lured him into the world of wine. As a uni student, he had a girlfriend whose father made wine, and Andre loved the way good food and wine were part of his daily life. He got Andre a job in wine and never looked back.

For Andre, wine is all about people and place.

“The quality of the wine is, of course, really important, but it always comes back to the people who made it and the place where it was made,” he says.

A sense of place becomes even more interesting when you’re growing grapes in the iconic Rayner Vineyard. First planted in the 1950s, this celebrated site has produced extraordinary bottles for renowned labels.

Alongside the Shiraz that’s grown in the vineyard for decades, Andre has also planted Grenache and some alternative varieties that thrive in warmer climates, including Carignan and Touriga.

In a region renowned for its bold and powerful wines, Andre is going somewhat against the grain to produce lighter styles that balance refinement with something a bit exciting.

“I like purity and I like wines to be fresh and bright and well made,” he says. “In that sense, I’ll be exacting. But if they’re too well made or just made simply, they can be a little boring. I work on a 70/30 rule: 70% is really well made and pure, and then 30% is a little bit wild.”

An up-and-coming label, Bondar Wines has already made a splash, being named James Halliday’s Best New Winery in 2017 and one of the Top 50 Young Guns of Wine in 2018, and taking home a bunch of wine show trophies.

“Perfection is difficult in this industry because the grapes are never perfect,” says Andre. “But I’m really passionate about creating something that is as close to perfect as I can get it.”

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