Made Simply, With Precision, Intent & Craft
Tom and Sally Belford met at Charles Sturt University in 1998, where they both studied viticulture. [^135^] Sally had come via social science, Japanese/tourism and horticulture, wending her way south from Brisbane — the plants won the day. [^135^] Tom grew up in the Yarra Valley and spent his teenage years working in vineyards, leaving high school to work in wineries full time. [^135^] The 1997 vintage at Yarra Ridge — "driving forklifts in the middle of the night and drinking beer at dawn" — was the moment he fell in love with the industry. [^135^] After working across NSW, the Macedon Ranges, Heathcote and the Yarra — including a formative three years at De Bortoli alongside Steve Webber, Bill Downie, Sarah Fagan and Paul Bridgeman — the pair took off for France in 2007. [^135^] They spent 15 months working six regions across two vintages, discovering natural wines and the creative "can-do" approach of small family producers. [^135^] In 2010, the first Bobar wine was born — a Syrah from Chirnside Park, inspired by memories of Beaujolais. [^135^] Today, they are based in Yarra Glen on the western side of the valley, hard up against the base of the Christmas Hills, farming organically and making wines as close to natural as possible — with whole bunches in open fermenters, no crushing or destemming, no pigeage or pumping over, and no yeast. [^115^]
Wine School Sweethearts, France & the Long Road Home
Sally and Tom's story begins at Charles Sturt University in 1998, where they bonded over a shared love of vines and dirt. [^135^] Sally's path to viticulture was winding — social science, Japanese and tourism, then horticulture — but once she found wine, there was no turning back. While studying, she worked in the Hilltops, NSW, on a large commercial vineyard near Jugiong, followed by stints in the Canberra District, Heathcote Estate, and eventually Yering Station in the Yarra Valley. [^135^]
Tom's journey was more direct. Born and raised in the Yarra Valley, he worked his first vintage at Yarra Ridge in 1997 — a baptism of fire that involved forklifts at midnight and beers at dawn. [^135^] He spent three more years there before the couple moved to the Macedon Ranges in 2001 to work at Cleveland and Curly Flat. They returned to the Yarra in 2004, where Tom joined De Bortoli during its renaissance — a period of retooling philosophy and methods that rippled across the region. [^135^] It was here, working alongside Steve Webber, Bill Downie, Sarah Fagan and Paul Bridgeman, that Tom found his apprenticeship. Bill Downie in particular encouraged the pair to travel, to explore other territory, other ways of doing things. [^135^]
In 2007, after the vintage, they headed to France for 15 months and two vintages. [^135^] They worked wherever they found work — at small family-owned estates across six regions: Champagne (at "probably the worst producer"), Provence at the biodynamic Château Romanin within a wildlife reserve, Cahors, Sauternes at Château Doisy Daëne, Morgon in Beaujolais. [^135^] It was here they discovered natural wines — "particularly the creative 'can-do' approach and simplicity and honesty of the producers." [^135^] When they returned, Tom took a role at Sticks, where he worked from 2008, and from 2015 developed the Rising label in conjunction with Sticks, finishing in 2019 to focus entirely on Bobar with Sally. [^135^]
"Bill Downie and Rachel Needoba have both been very encouraging, particularly in the 'just fucking do it' sense."
— Tom Belford
Nenagh Park, Highbow Hill & the Christmas Hills Escarpment
Tom and Sally are based in Yarra Glen on the western side of the Yarra Valley, hard up against the base of the Christmas Hills — the geological and climatic engine of their vineyards. [^135^] The soils are gravelly and free-draining; the east-facing slopes at the base of these hills are protected from the western heat in summer, while the north-south range pushes the hot north winds further out into the valley. [^135^] This unique positioning allows some of the generosity and fullness of the valley floor but with restraint and precision — the grapes retain purity and freshness rather than being "sun-kissed." [^135^]
The primary source of fruit is the superb Nenagh Park vineyard, located on east-facing slopes on the western side of the Yarra Valley. [^115^] The vineyard sits under the Christmas Hills escarpment, where the soil is richest in gravel — lean, free-draining, and ideal for producing wines of focus and energy. [^125^] [^126^] Tom and Sally have a lifelong relationship with this place, exploring its unique landscape since childhood. [^129^] Every day they learn more nuance and detail about its geology and soils, and their relationship to the wind, sun and rain. [^129^]
They also source from Highbow Hill, a nearby vineyard on gravel loams, and from their own home-block vineyard in Yarra Glen — a 5-hectare property planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. [^115^] [^118^] The home vineyard wines are yet to be commercially released; as Sally says, "It's a really personal thing, because it's our little vineyard, and because it's so varied with the vintages." [^118^] They also source lesser-known parcels from neighbouring vineyards, including a 40-year-old dry-grown Verduzzo parcel in the west of Coldstream. [^117^]
All vineyards are farmed meticulously without synthetic pesticides or herbicides. [^129^] The farming is organic in practice, though not certified — a choice that reflects their focus on doing the work rather than chasing the label. The vines are tended by dear friends at a couple of local Yarra Glen vineyards that Tom and Sally have long sourced fruit from. [^129^]
The primary source for Bobar wines. Located on east-facing slopes on the western side of the Yarra Valley, under the Christmas Hills escarpment. [^115^] [^125^] Soils are grey loam over deep clay, richest in gravel — lean, free-draining, and perfect for producing wines of focus, precision, and cool mineral freshness. [^123^] [^126^] Chardonnay vines are 17 years old; Cabernet Sauvignon vines are 5 years old. [^122^] [^123^]
Source of Syrah and Malbec for the Syrah Malbec cuvée. [^130^] Steep east-facing slopes with infertile soils rich in gravels. [^131^] This striking vineyard lends wines a fruit richness and cool mineral freshness — the gravel component is key to the wine's elegant shape and svelte tannins. [^131^]
Tom and Sally's own vineyard, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. [^115^] [^118^] The wines from this block are yet to be commercially released — "a really personal thing" that the couple is still learning from, vintage by vintage. [^118^] It represents the next chapter of the Bobar story: estate-grown fruit from their own land.
A 40-year-old parcel of dry-grown Verduzzo in the west of Coldstream. [^117^] Three weeks whole cluster. Lively and energetic with great acidity and pure fruit — apple, mandarin, lime — with a bit of grip. [^117^] A rare variety in Australia, treated with the same minimal-intervention approach as all Bobar wines. 94/100 from Jamie Goode. [^117^]
Whole Bunch, Wild Yeast & No Additives
The Bobar wines are built on traditional, simple winemaking methods: natural yeasts, foot treading, old oak, whole bunch for both red and white, and moderate alcohols. [^135^] Some picks are very early to encourage crunchy approachability — their 2019 Savant Cabernet clocked in at 10.5%. [^135^] Sulfur is used sometimes at bottling, but often not. There are no rules, in other words. [^135^] As Tom and Sally put it: "The Bobar wines are made simply but with precision, intent and craft." [^135^]
The wines come as close to natural as possible. Whole bunches go into open fermenters with no crushing or destemming, no pigeage or pumping over, and no added yeast. [^115^] There is no fining or filtration, no acidification, and low SO2 use. [^117^] The reds are foot-trodden, gently extracted, and aged in old French oak — puncheons and barriques that add texture without flavour. [^131^] The whites are whole-bunch pressed, fermented wild, and aged on lees in old oak or stainless steel. [^117^]
Carbonic maceration plays a key role in several cuvées — most notably the Cabernet-based wines. Tom and Sally had never carbonic macerated Cabernet before, but after good results with Shiraz, they gave it a crack and found it worked brilliantly. [^118^] "Cabernet sauvignon has this thing when it's made [via traditional red wine techniques] of having a 'hole' in the middle palate," Sally explains. "But we find with carbonic maceration — because it's a completely different pathway with the ferment — you don't tend to see those gaps." [^118^] The result is Cabernet that is lighter, fresher, and more fun — "something we can still talk about" at a long lunch, without the 14% alcohol party-killer effect. [^118^]
Tom and Sally have somewhat defined natural wine in the Yarra Valley without being defined by it. [^135^] They are not dogmatic — they use sulfur when they need to, they pick early when the season demands it, they experiment with carbonic maceration and co-fermentation. But the through-line is always the same: respect for the fruit, respect for the site, and a commitment to making wines that are alive, authentic, and delicious. [^129^]
The Cabaret Experiment
When Stephen Sadlier at Nenagh Park found it hard to sell his Cabernet Sauvignon around 2018 — "because it was just out of fashion, everyone was talking about pinot" — Tom and Sally thought, "Why don't we just give that a crack?" [^118^] But instead of making a traditional, heavy Cabernet, they tried something radical: carbonic maceration, a technique usually reserved for light, juicy reds like Beaujolais. The result was Cabaret — a Cabernet that defies expectations. Aged only in neutral oak, it is lighter in alcohol, fresher, and more fun than any Cabernet has a right to be. "We wanted something which was a little bit lighter in alcohol, and a little bit more fun, but not not simple — something we can still talk about," Sally says. [^118^] Inspired by the surprising longevity of early Cabaret vintages, they now make a second, more structured Cabernet called Savant — same carbonic maceration, same avoidance of new oak, but with some crushed grapes plunged towards the end of fermentation for deeper fruit and more intensity. [^118^] These are not your grandfather's Yarra Valley Cabernets. They are something entirely new.
Pioneers, Not Preachers
Tom and Sally Belford have developed a dedicated following right from the first Syrah back in 2010. [^135^] They were Young Gun finalists in 2013 — an early recognition of their talent and vision. [^135^] But they have never sought the spotlight. They are farmers and winemakers first, and their reputation has grown organically, through the quality of the wines and the integrity of their approach.
The Bobar project is deeply personal. Before the first vintage, Tom and Sally grew organic garlic for sale to restaurants and farmers' markets, and started a family. [^129^] They have shared a farming and winemaking dream since 1998, working, travelling and studying, building experience and skill at wineries large and small. [^129^] Today, they are based at 253 Gulf Road, Yarra Glen, with a cellar door by appointment and a new winery built in 2022 that gives them full creative control. [^115^]
Their wines have found their way onto lists in some of the most renowned, progressive and welcoming restaurants around the world. [^129^] They export to the UK and Norway, and their domestic following in Melbourne and the Yarra Valley is loyal and growing. [^115^] But the ambition remains modest: to make wines they believe in, from vineyards they know intimately, and to share them with people who care. "Don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to know a bit more about Bobar or to arrange a visit," they say. "Thanks so much for visiting our website and we hope to share a glass with you soon." [^129^]
"The Bobar wines are made simply but with precision, intent and craft."
— Tom & Sally Belford
The Bobar Range
Bobar produces a focused, low-intervention portfolio from the Yarra Valley — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and the rare Verduzzo. All wines are made with wild yeast, no fining, no filtration, no acidification, and minimal sulfur. Whole-bunch fermentation is standard, carbonic maceration is employed for several reds, and all ageing is in old French oak or stainless steel. The style is detailed, textural, and made as naturally as possible — often without recourse to sulfur at all. [^117^] [^135^] Prices are approximate and vary by market.
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Different Drop: https://www.differentdrop.com/collections/bobar
Prince Wine Store: https://princewinestore.com.au/bobar/
Fairview Wines: https://fairviewwines.co.uk/search?q=bobar
Winespeake cellar + deli: https://winespeake.com.au/bobar-verduzzo