It was a poorer, rural community back then, with no pool of trained labour. No-one really knew anything about growing grape vines, but there was a wonderful community of people who worked together, planting trial blocks and each other’s vineyards. They had to learn everything from books and by visiting wine regions themselves.

Dad always said it was 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration, and it certainly was, particularly during planting in 1971. It wasn’t until 1994 – the year dad passed – that he found out that we’d finally broke even.

Our commitment to environmental sustainability came long before the wine making. My grandmother was a suffragette and nature photographer, and mum and dad fought hard to try and save Lake Pedder during their time in Tasmania. After moving to Busselton in 1948, they worked with friends to have an environmental act passed through parliament stopping the mining of bauxite; the whole Cape to Cape coastline was earmarked for bauxite mining.

They had this incredible passion for the pristine natural environment, which translated into always wanting to make the best quality wine. Dad saw the effects of chemicals on his patients and mum had developed a love of nature from growing up in Tasmania.

Mum had a knack for making everything seem fun. She had a thermos of tea and she made lemon slice with very thick icing, a reward for picking up sticks and working in the vineyard.

Mum and dad were always working on the farm or in the vineyard, and it was a struggle in the sense of no one really knew – they were learning so much along the way, experimenting. But everybody worked together as a community, helping each other, and I remember that sense of excitement whenever anyone on an award.

My sister Shelley set up the first food bar serving Cornish pasties and toasted sandwiches and the infamous vineyard platter with crusty bread. Back then all these poor people were travelling and tasting wine but there weren’t many places offering food. Shelley came up with the name crusty bread because it was just recycled, toasted bread from yesterday.

All of us did our time working at cellar door and promoting in Perth – including Ariane, Digby, Stewart and Rick. We planted vines, worked in the vineyard and at vintage. Digby helped build the winery and painted the whole thing, and there’s a picture of him with glasses covered in white paint.

Eventually I went to Adelaide to study music, and dad enrolled me in the wine course. I returned with a science degree and a graduate wine diploma from Roseworthy in 1986.

After working vintages in California and Burgundy I said to mum, “I need to take over as full winemaker otherwise I want to go somewhere else”. So, she agreed, but then there was that jostling between two very strong-willed people.

Mum would say “Fine, no worries, dear.” Once, I went away promoting, and I rang up to find out what was happening with the Riesling fruit, as we’d agreed not to make a Riesling, and she said, “Oh dear, we bottled it last week.”

There was also the time I was supposed to be sampling the grapes, but in walks mum beautifully dressed with a scarf, matching belt and shoes, exclaiming “Oh, I tasted the grapes. They taste yummy!” I loved driving around the vineyard every evening with mum, checking all the grapes. The vintage after she passed away I just had this sense of her being there saying, “Yummy, dear!”

Fortunately, mum and I both believed in making the best quality wine, so regardless of our differences, we always agreed within that.

Dad had sent a letter in 1967 requesting Chardonnay cuttings and we didn’t get the cuttings until 1976. Plantings happened bit by bit, with the Mangan vineyard planted 1995 to 1997. The Mangan vineyard is just a little further south, on the ocean side of Caves Road, with different soils and topography, giving us wines that are quite different to those grown on the Cullen vineyard.

Mum and I transitioned to organic and then biodynamic. The land has to be sustained to grow great wine; when you plant an introduced species you take something out of the soil, so you have to give something back. Biodynamics is as complex as nature, and we use animal, mineral and plant substances, applying them when the planets are favourably aligned. This microbiological life enlivens the land, the vines, the grapes and hence the wine. We use biodynamic preparations 500 to 508, and it’s BD 500 and 501 that give us our biodynamic certification over organic. BD 500 is a biodynamic preparation containing billions of micro flora, and B12 that synthesizes nitrogen and drives the whole thing.

It’s the soil intelligence and connection that makes biodynamics so special; and it connects to all aspects of our business. In the winery the wines really make themselves. We don’t add yeast or acid, and as a result the wines are the purest expressions of place.

The three words that define the Cullen philosophy are quality, integrity and sustainability. We are the only biodynamic and carbon positive winery in the region, sequestering more carbon than we emit. It’s the land that makes great wine, and here we are in Wilyabrup – a place picked by John Gladstones as ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, enlivening the soil with biodynamics and making the best wines possible.

Sustainability is in every part of the business; we reduce our emissions through lightweight glass bottles, because glass is one of the highest contributors to our carbon dioxide emissions. We changed from glossy painted cardboard to brown cardboard, and to screwcap so we don’t get the wastage associated with cork. Cover crops between the vines synthesize nitrogen, sequester carbon and gives us healthy soil. Carbon sequestration has been our biggest success in terms of our carbon footprint.

Recently we’ve gone from a two-hatted restaurant with 26 dishes on our menu, to a simpler offering where 90% of our food is grown right here in our Cullen garden. The menu is simpler and pure, and there’s no wastage.

That this family owned business is now globally respected, carbon positive and producing biodynamic wine is our greatest legacy.

January Sundowners: A series of Sundowners throughout January was a great way to kick off our 50 Year Celebrations!

Diana Madeline launch: During March we held a series of special set menu lunches to launch the new release 2019 Diana Madeline.

Kevin John Diana Madeline Legacy Awards: John Jens was Honoured in the 2021 Cullen Award For Excellence, held on the 5th June 2021.

36th Annual Chardonnay Tasting: 13th November 2021.

50th Cabernet and Varietals Tasting: 18th November 2021

Kevin John 2020 launch: Saturday 20th and Sunday21st November.