How a geneticist ended up creating one of the region’s best winery, brewery & distillery. Macarthur is a long way from South Africa, so there is both a unique tale and love story behind Pieter and Michelle Badenhorst’s journey to creating Suffoir Winery, Brewery and Distillery.
A geneticist and bio-chemist by trade, Pieter left South Africa bound for a job as a research scientist at the Victorian government. As fate would have it, Pieter’s best friend is the cousin of another South African native, Michelle, who separately at the time was backpacking around Australia. After meeting, the two hit it off and as they say, the rest is history… although at the time, neither saw owning a winery let alone a brewery and distillery in their future plans! The hunt for a home and wedding venue happened simultaneously so when they stumbled across the grounds of the now-named Suffoir Winery, they instantly knew it ticked both boxes. Initially, they saw the winery as more of a hobby but as there was already a liquor license attached the idea of turning it into a business became more prominent in their minds. So in 2012 on the day they moved in, they began picking grapes. By the following year, they started making wine commercially and by 2015 they opened their cellar door from a 6x9m shed.
During this time, Pieter was still working in government and spending all his spare hours in the winery with Michelle. From day one, both knew that this business had to be a true representation of their shared values; authenticity, sustainability and a love for animals. The Suffoir name itself is derived from the properties Black Suffolk sheep and Pinot Noir vines. ‘The Three Alpacas’ beer is named after the animals that roam the property and ‘Angry Dog’ cider is a nod to the dog that herds the sheep.
As Suffoir has evolved and grown into a multi-faceted craft beverage venue, both Pieter and Michelle have continued to remain authentic to their roots and shared goals. Suffoir is completely self-sufficient, using everything from its own garden or shared community gardens to create a holistic food and drink offering. Visitors can pick at grazing and ploughman platters inside or out while sipping on their drink of choice with beautiful rolling hills as their backdrop. Suffoir has five wines on offer, including a Viognier, Rosé, two estate-grown Pinot Noirs and a Cabernet Merlot. Their ‘7 Deadly Gins’ range includes Just Another Lemon Tree, Rooibos, The Chameleon (strawberry and pomegranate), Australian Botanical, Sweet Smoke, Pinot Noir and Sticky Chai. They have also expanded their spirit offering to include vodka, gin, brandy, whisky and liqueurs. For craft beer connoisseurs, you can choose between a lager, pale ale, Indian pale ale and ginger beer. The venue’s recycling program is also yet another example of Pieter and Michelle’s shared focus on ensuring they reduce their environmental footprint for generations to come.
Life has a funny way of panning out sometimes, and while Pieter and Michelle never saw Suffoir in their wildest dreams, they are so thankful they get to wake up to it every day. Suffoir is for everyone, something they both have made sure of by making the venue fully accessible to all. It is authentically unapologetic which carries across their food and beverages. It is a place where you can bring your dog for the afternoon or host a milestone event and always feel warm, welcomed and most importantly, full!
