Damn Fine Booze
Jordy Kay was fifteen when he dropped out of school and started working vintages — Margaret River, Austria, Tasmania, Portugal, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, and now the Otway Ranges. [^155^] By twenty-seven, he had already been a familiar face in the Australian natural wine scene for more than a decade. Chevre Wines began in 2014 with a leased vineyard in Mornington Peninsula, but when that site was sold, Jordy bought a five-acre vineyard in the Otways in August 2016 — a lush, green, relatively undiscovered region southwest of Melbourne, surrounded by trees, rolling hills, and gently undulating terroir. [^155^] The name "Chevre" is a nod to his love of goats and goat's milk, though the wines are anything but goaty. Jordy's approach is minimal intervention with maximum attention: native cover crops, organic practices, hand-picking, wild ferments, and a calm confidence that comes from having made wine in more countries than most people have visited. The wines are vivid, juicy, and unpretentious — Pinot Noir with whole-bunch stemmy deliciousness, Sauvignon Blanc with bright acid and refined minerality, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Syrah, and even cheeky Cabernet Sauvignon fermented on Pinot Gris skins. [^155^] This is natural wine without the dogma — just damn fine booze from a young winemaker with an old soul.
Dropout & Vagabond
Jordy Kay's path to wine was not through university or family tradition. He dropped out of school at fifteen and went straight to work — first in Margaret River, then Austria, Tasmania, Portugal, Mornington Peninsula, and the Yarra Valley. [^155^] Each vintage taught him something different: Austrian precision, Tasmanian cool-climate restraint, Portuguese tradition, Australian freedom. By the time he was twenty-seven, he had more international winemaking experience than many winemakers twice his age.
In 2014, Jordy leased a vineyard in Mornington Peninsula — the closest wine region to Melbourne, located due south of the city. [^155^] This was the launch of Chevre Wines, a project that allowed him to apply everything he had learned to his own label. But the leased vineyard was sold, and Jordy found himself looking for a new home. In August 2016, he bought a five-acre vineyard in the Otway Ranges — a lush, green, relatively undiscovered region southwest of Melbourne, surrounded by trees, rolling hills, and gently undulating terroir. [^155^]
The Otways are not a conventional wine region. They are wet, cool, and surrounded by forest — more like Tasmania than the warm, dry wine areas of mainland Australia. But Jordy saw potential in the climate, the soils, and the isolation. "It's a beautiful area, relatively undiscovered compared to Mornington," one profile noted. [^155^] The vines were already producing fruit, and Jordy harvested his first Otways vintage in 2016. Since then, he has been transforming the vineyard, improving the viticulture, and making it more sustainable for the long term.
"No one is doing that in Australia with Australian crops; all the biodynamic vineyards seem to use European crops instead."
— Jordy Kay, on native cover crops
Native Cover Crops, Otway Rain & Black Basalt
Chevre Wines' home vineyard is five acres in the Otway Ranges — a cool, wet, forested region southwest of Melbourne. The property is surrounded by lush green trees, rolling hills, farmland, and meadows. [^155^] The climate is distinctly different from the warm, dry wine regions that dominate Australian viticulture. Rain is frequent, humidity is high, and the growing season is long and cool. This is not easy farming, but it produces wines of exceptional freshness, acidity, and vibrancy.
Jordy's viticultural approach is rooted in sustainability and native biodiversity. He is planting bush peas, wattle, and prickly moses — low-lying shrubs native to the Otways — as cover crops in every second row. [^155^] "No one is doing that in Australia with Australian crops," he noted. "All the biodynamic vineyards seem to use European crops instead." [^155^] By planting native species and letting them grow, the soil structure is strengthened. When cut back and used as mulch, they introduce naturally occurring nitrogen and carbon back into the soil. Jordy has been working with a local expert who has been growing native crops in the Otways for close to thirty years, ensuring that everything planted has been growing in the area for decades. [^155^]
To supplement his own fruit, Jordy purchases grapes from around the Otways and from the Grampians and Henty regions. [^155^] These growers have vines planted in black basalt volcanic soils and work using largely organic practices. The fruit is exceptional — Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and even Cabernet Sauvignon — and Jordy treats it with the same minimal intervention approach as his own grapes. The combination of estate fruit and carefully selected purchased fruit gives Chevre Wines a breadth of expression that is rare for a small producer.
Five acres in the Otway Ranges, purchased in 2016. Cool, wet, forested climate. Surrounded by lush green trees, rolling hills, and native bushland. [^155^] The vines were already producing when Jordy bought the property, and he has been gradually improving the viticulture — planting native cover crops, reducing chemical inputs, and building soil health. This is the heart of the Chevre operation.
Fruit purchased from growers in the Grampians and Henty regions — areas with black basalt volcanic soils and largely organic practices. [^155^] These sites give Jordy access to varieties and terroirs that complement his Otway fruit. The combination of estate and purchased fruit creates a portfolio that is diverse, site-expressive, and consistently high-quality.
Bush peas, wattle, and prickly moses — all native to the Otways — planted in every second row as cover crops. [^155^] This is a pioneering approach in Australian viticulture, where most biodynamic and organic vineyards use European cover crop species. The native plants strengthen soil structure, add nitrogen and carbon when mulched, and support local biodiversity. A genuinely Australian approach to sustainable farming.
The partner vineyards in the Grampians and Henty regions are planted on black basalt volcanic soils — rich, fertile, and distinctive. [^155^] These soils give the wines a dark, mineral, almost smoky character that is unique to the region. Combined with Jordy's minimal intervention winemaking, the result is wines of exceptional depth, complexity, and terroir expression.
Minimal Intervention, Maximum Attention
Jordy Kay's winemaking is defined by a paradox: minimal intervention with maximum attention. He does not add cultured yeasts, enzymes, or additives. He does not fine or filter. He uses sulfur sparingly, if at all. But he is obsessively attentive — tasting, observing, adjusting, and guiding the wine through its natural process. The result is wines that are alive, vivid, and deeply expressive of their fruit and place.
The techniques are simple but precise. Whites are typically direct-pressed and fermented in old oak or stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. Reds are fermented in open vats with varying levels of whole-bunch inclusion — "a hint of that whole bunch stemmy deliciousness," as one taster described the Pinot Noir. [^155^] Skin-contact wines see extended maceration, sometimes for weeks, before being pressed to old oak for ageing. Pét-nats are bottled during fermentation, capturing the natural sparkle and lees.
Jordy's calm confidence is evident in every wine. He is not trying to replicate Burgundy or the Rhône. He is making wines that taste of the Otways — of cool climate, volcanic soil, native bushland, and wet-forest air. The Sauvignon Blanc is picked just as the grapes begin to take on passionfruit juiciness, but while the acid is still bright — "resulting in a refined minerality and beautiful fruit." [^155^] The Pinot Noir is juicy and full, with whole-bunch character. The Riesling is precise and mineral. The Syrah is peppery and fresh. And the cheeky Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented on Pinot Gris skins, is pure Jordy — experimental, playful, and delicious. [^155^]
The Goat Connection
The name "Chevre" means goat in French, and Jordy's love of goats is more than a gimmick. It reflects his approach to farming and life: independent, hardy, a little stubborn, and deeply connected to the land. Goats are browsers, not grazers — they eat shrubs, weeds, and native plants, fitting perfectly with Jordy's native cover crop philosophy. They are also low-maintenance, sustainable, and produce milk that Jordy clearly appreciates. The goat is the unofficial mascot of Chevre Wines, appearing on labels and in the winery's aesthetic. But the wines are not goaty — they are clean, vibrant, and precise. The goat is a symbol, not a flavour. It represents the independence, the earthiness, and the slightly irreverent spirit that defines everything Jordy does.
Young, Restless, Deeply Rooted
Jordy Kay is not a typical natural winemaker. He is not dogmatic about zero sulfur or wild yeast purity. He is not trying to make wines that shock or challenge. He is making wines that he wants to drink — and that his friends want to drink. "No-fuss and no fluff — just damn fine booze," as Sprudge put it. [^155^] This is natural wine without the pretension, made by a young man with an old soul who has worked more vintages in more countries than most winemakers twice his age.
The Chevre identity is defined by youth, travel, and a deep respect for place. Jordy has seen how wine is made in Austria, Portugal, Tasmania, and across Australia. He has taken the best from each — Austrian precision, Portuguese tradition, Tasmanian cool-climate restraint, Australian freedom — and applied it to the unique terroir of the Otways. The result is a style that is unmistakably his own: vivid, juicy, mineral, and alive.
Chevre Wines is still small — five acres, a few hundred cases per year, sold mainly through natural wine bars, restaurants, and direct to consumers. [^154^] But the reputation is growing. The wines are listed on Raisin, the global natural wine app, and reviewed by Sprudge, one of the most respected voices in the natural wine world. [^154^] [^155^] Jordy's calm confidence and general optimism are compelling — not just in person, but in the wines themselves. They taste of a winemaker who knows what he is doing, who trusts his fruit, and who is not afraid to let the wine speak for itself. This is the future of Australian natural wine: young, skilled, globally experienced, and deeply rooted in place.
"No-fuss and no fluff — just damn fine booze."
— Sprudge
The Chevre Range
Chevre Wines produces a diverse, ever-evolving range of natural wines from the Otway Ranges and partner growers in the Grampians and Henty regions. The portfolio spans Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Syrah, and experimental blends — all made with minimal intervention, indigenous yeasts, no fining, no filtration, and minimal or no sulfur. The wines are vivid, juicy, and unpretentious — "damn fine booze" from one of Australia's most travelled young winemakers. Prices are approximate and vary by market.
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Act of Wine: https://actofwine.com.au/collections/chevre
Different Drop: https://www.differentdrop.com/collections/chevre-wines
P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants: https://www.pnvmerchants.com/producers/chevre-wines
Good Pair Days: https://www.goodpairdays.com/winery/chevre-wines