Led by winemaker Caroline Mooney, we’re not here to make the same tasting wines each year; we make wines of interest that exemplify the land they come from.

It’s no secret our climate is changing. Classic YV varieties are using more resources and proving less resilient, so we’re now reworking blocks to plant vines suited to a warmer climate. Zonzo’s wine is different because it has to be. By introducing new wines to the region we hope to uncover varieties that will thrive in the Yarra Valley 10, 20 and even 30 years from now.

Raised in the Yarra Valley, Caroline’s wine journey has seen her travel all over the world and back. Her understanding of terroir is instinctive and her respect for the land and traditional winemaking processes helps create expressive wines, balancing decades of knowledge with a wonderful sense of humour.

Having designed our urban winery and created Scoperta (our newest range of small batch wines), Caroline now turns her attention to the future of the vineyard.

Phil joined us in 2020 after overseeing 25 vintages in the Yarra Valley.

His approach to vineyard regeneration complements Caroline’s instinctive winemaking: improving soil health by increasing biodiversity and encouraging a balanced ecosystem, which in turn reduces the need for chemical intervention.

In plain terms, Phil works with nature to create deliciousness.

In 2019 we took on an ambitious project: to convert an empty warehouse in Lilydale into a sustainable winery.

We’re now close to 100% sustainability in a beautiful and functional space that not only produces premium wine, but also minimises its impact on the planet and considers the people using it. It’s a place where we merge our love for winemaking with a commitment to not harm the planet, as evidenced by some of our best-in-class initiatives.

100% self-sustaining cleaning water

Our enormous roof captures rainwater and feeds into a system that recycles it, giving our facility fully sustainable cleaning water. Wineries go through a lot of water for cleaning purposes, so we’re particularly proud of this feat.

Heating and cooling

In winemaking, heating and cooling are really important. While we can’t tell the yeast what to do, we can create an environment for it to do the right thing. Our refrigerated piping, Cool-Fit 4.0, is the first instance of the Swiss technology in an Australian winery. It has incredible energy efficiency, offering minimal transfer and energy loss.

Barrel space

A gigantic, cavernous barrel storage area also doubles as a white barrel ferment room. This allows us to control the temperature of barrel ferments all the way through, giving us the best possible outcome for wine.

Tanks designed by Caroline Mooney

All our tanks were designed by Caroline to unique specifications, down to the slope of the floor and door height. This aids ease of use for staff, improves wine quality and increases our ability to make winemaking sustainable. There are a number of different size tanks, with the smaller tanks crucial to experimentation and making smaller batches (like Scoperta) with added attention to detail.

Wine press

The way a winemaker presses fruit has a profound effect on the final product, so our German-made press takes centre stage during vintage: it’s designed to give us the fullest range of options for individual wines, being able to be configured to suit the block, variety and season the grapes come from.

Made in France and shipped with great care to Australia, our 3000L oak fermenters are essential to our Italian varieties. They also provide a lower oak-to-wine ratio compared to smaller barrels, whilst allowing the wine to evolve.

Fermenters

Our red fermenters come in many sizes and are made in Australia to our specs: from their shape to the position of cooling jackets. Smaller ones accommodate our trial batches and testing of different techniques; our larger units handle up to 5T at a time.