Mt. Yengo is a whole lot more than a winery. Founded by Gary Green an Australian of Aboriginal descent (he is both Gamilaraay and Githabul from New South Wales) along with his partner Ben Hansberry as a vehicle not only to produce exceptional Australian wine but as away to bring the culture and values of the First Nations People of Australia and fuse them with the more recent culture surrounding wine. They have built a community of both Aborignal and European descended artists, growers and winemakers that are committed to a sustainable approach both in the field and the cellar all the while giving back to the folk whose ancestors originally occupied the land we now call Australia.

They do this in many ways including featuring Aboriginal art on their labels. In 2021, the winery announced that Wayne Quilliam, who had been the featured artist on the labels, would join the team in a permanent role as a director. This is an extension of Mt. Yengo’s mission to include their artists in the commercial success of the winery, as they have been giving a portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold to the artists for years. Mt. Yengo also gives a portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold to the National Indigenous Culinary Institute, which is a program of national significance to create highly skilled Indigenous chefs.

It’s a very inspiring story. And oh, by the way, the wines are very good too!

Mt. Yengo sources from many sites across Australia, and the wines we have today are from the epicenter of what is referred to as “New Australian Wine”: Adelaide Hills. That’s a reference to the growth over the last couple of decades of wines that are made with fewer inputs and additions, from sustainably sourced vineyards and that are generally lighter and more transparent in regards to terroir. And that is exactly what the wine of Mt. Yengo represents.

We are very excited to support this project and with wine this good we plan to do so for a very long time. There is a small but growing trend of indiginiuos producers making sustainable and natural wines. Mt. Yengo is among the best and their success will undoubtedly inspire many more to reclaim at least a sliver of what was stolen from them, through the art of winemaking and growing. Cheers to that!