About Marri Wood Park

'Off the beaten track in Yallingup is one of the most charming and welcoming wineries in the region, Marri Wood Park.

In a rough-hewn, tin-roofed shed, Julian Wright offer generous quantities of his wines, serve up local organic cheeses and breads and relax and chat with their guests, cheerfully explaining the principals of bio-dynamic farming.

In 2004, Julian decided to move to Yallingup to take over running the vineyard that for 11 years had been managed for them.

It was a life-changing experience.

Julian watched the manager prepare to spray crops wearing a protective suit and breathing apparatus and encasing himself in an air-conditioned vehicle.

It added up to something that was clearly dangerous.

A timely workshop on bio-dynamics set Julian on a path to full-time bio-dynamic farming.

“I had never heard of bio-dynamics before this and it may have sounded ‘hocus-pocusy’ but we decided it wasn’t a heavy cost to try it.” Julian said.

It was about finding a natural balance that was sustainable year after year, explained Julian.

Soil health is the key, and within a year of starting chemical-free, natural farming, Julian could see a change in the soil’s colour and the vine roots were penetrating better.

More than a vineyard, Marri Wood Park is a farm where cattle, sheep and chickens provide a balance of life and growth, and their manure is a vital part of the soil health.

Yields may be down, but the hand-grown, hand-picked and carefully sorted grapes are of a superior quality that is turned into premium red, white and sparkling wines under three labels, Marri Wood Park, Guinea Run and Reserve.

“We are full-time dedicated farmers, doing everything by hand, and it’s the best thing we’ve ever done.” Julian said.

written by Sarah McNeil (The Post, March '09)l