Wine business just ducky

You don't need green fingers to grow a grapevine. But planting a vineyard and growing a wine business is a different matter entirely. That requires countless hours of careful thought and planning, not the least of which includes matching grapevines to soil types and climatic conditions.

Then there's the matter of choosing a distinctive name for your new patch of vines. But how do you manage that if there are already thousands of wine businesses on the planet?

When Darren and Jackie Brown first planted vines on their property between Cambridge and Richmond, the Coal River Valley couple put off what they realised some day would become a momentous decision. That's okay, they figured, wine's journey from grape to glass takes a minimum of three years beyond planting.

"Coming up with a business name wasn't something we felt we needed to rush into," Jackie Brown recalls of those heady days spent nurturing young vines back in the late 1990s.

It wasn't until the couple were seven years into their venture and had wine in the bottle ready for sale that their conundrum was finally resolved.

"It was a lovely afternoon in August 2003, and Darren and I were out by the dam, watching the ducks diving," Brown explains.

"I turned to Darren and said, 'When I was little, Mum used to call that puddling.'"

"'Puddleduck!' Darren exclaimed."

"'Yes, that's it!' I replied. And the rest they say is history…"

Fast forward 17 years and today you find the couple on Richmond Road still telling their quirky vineyard story. During the past week, the Browns along with Puddleduck Vineyard manager Johnny Knibbe added finishing touches to a larger-than-life, vine-woven duck they've named Morrison.

"It's a bit of Darren's handiwork," Brown says with a grin.

"Johnny created the basic framework using some of his welding skills. Darren then spent four weeks weaving Morrison together using vine canes discarded during our annual winter pruning program. 

"Morrison's spending time near the entrance to the cellar door at the moment. But we have plans to relocate him to the dam where he'll be moored so that visitors can come by and take selfies with him."

While some on social media have already described the month-long period of levity as 'simply quackers,' it's provided the couple with a timely distraction from the omnipresent threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Puddleduck closed its doors just as the nationwide lockdown commenced in late March. It then endured 11 long weeks without visitors before re-opening in mid-June with limited trading hours. The place had been buzzing only months before. During one weekend in December 2019, the Browns set a new cellar door sales record that exceeded the previous one by a percentage with double-digits.

The recent lack of cellar door trade struck a huge financial blow. The Browns have based their entire business model on selling wines direct to customers. The couple's willingness to strike out on their own had been premised on avoiding costly and time-consuming engagement with wholesalers and retailers across the country.

But what made the visitor-focused operation truly unique within the Tasmanian wine context has also made life especially challenging. While Puddleduck sales still continue via online, over-the-phone and cellar door channels, the Browns' decision to stick resolutely to their long-term plans has required them to work much smarter and harder in order to keep their ducky little business afloat.

A diverse range of beautifully packaged gift packs has provided a lifeline. Many were specifically created to encourage online and wine club sales during lockdown. Retail items include more than just Puddleduck wines. All manner of goods are offered – Country Larder jams, locally-made peanut butter and baby beanies incorporating delightful ducky motifs head a long list of quality products.

Meanwhile, Federal Government Jobkeeper payments have allowed vineyard employees to remain optimistic about their futures on the property. Business downtime provided opportunities to spruce up the cellar door alongside winter's usual round of vineyard and winery chores.

"We steam-cleaned, painted, re-stained… you name it, we did it," Brown says.

"We were determined to use the time wisely and be 110-percent business-ready whenever we finally re-opened after COVID."

The personal, authentic nature of the Browns' evolving wine story clearly resonates among those that come into personal or virtual contact with Puddleduck.

Within three years of opening to the public, the vineyard was named 2008 Tasmanian Small Business Champion. Four years on, it became the 2012 Tasmanian Tourism Award Winner in the Best Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries category.

More good news came only last month. In a poll conducted by Radio 7HOFM, Puddleduck Vineyard was named Hobart's Best of the Best Winery. The award should provide a welcome boost to a wine couple capable of almost anything... except blowing their own trumpets.

First published 14 August 2020: tasmaniantimes.com