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OHO in ISO: Jayden Ong from One Block

Jayden Ong is an independent winemaker specialising in cool climate, single vineyard sites in the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. Jayden and his wife, Morgan, are first-generation winemakers and the team behind One Block.

What is happening with the winery at this stage?

Being at the start of winter, we have just finished vintage. The 2020 wines are now safely in barrel. We have cleaned down and will now show some love to our two vineyards over the winter months. Pruning the vines, adding compost, and at our home vineyard, a shallow plowing undervine and aerating the soil. 

We have seen some crazy weather this year, but the fruit we harvested was excellent quality, giving us wines we look forward to drinking. The 2020 wines will sit in barrel over winter, and the wines from 2019 that are now in the tank will settle out during the cold period, and we will look to bottling these in the spring. 

How has your family been coping?

We have had a great few months, albeit more cautious than usual. We live in a quiet part of the world, and it’s times like these that make us grateful for where we live. We have space, we still have food growing in the garden, our water tanks are full and we have lots of dry firewood. And we are all healthy which is the most important thing in all of this. The Yarra Valley is spectacular in autumn and we love winter the most! We live on top of a mountain at 700m above sea level and we get snow a number of times each year, which we are very excited for. 

What has the current crisis taught you about business?

If you’ve got a good product made with integrity and a lot of love, people will support you at any stage. We have been very lucky. We’ve had to be flexible and pragmatic but have remained positive, which is the key. We are positive in our outlook and in the wines we have made, and since covid changed everything and with restaurants closing, we have been able to communicate with our customers directly more than before, which has been the silver lining for us. 

We have recently launched our new wine club, Magnum Opus, and are currently working on a new website, so it’s all systems go. We have been shown a lot of support from customers Australia-wide, as well as our international markets which have come back earlier than expected.

How do you think things will go now restrictions are starting to be downgraded?

We hope that people stay safe and sound, and continue to look out for each other, as well as caring for the people in the community that need it most. Hopefully, we can all learn to be more respectful of each other, and this beautiful country we live on. 

What adventures are you planning as restrictions ease?

We are enjoying all the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley, the sunrises and the sunsets. Supporting the fantastic local businesses around us, maybe a lunch in the city with friends, and dinner on the mountain cooking outdoors over an open fire. 

A little more wine might be nice as well.


The Details:

Jayden Ong Wines is currently offering free shipping to your door, for 6 or more bottles. Just head to their website to take a look at the range.

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