Grip the Earth with Your Toes
Andrew and Louise Burchell are a husband-and-wife team who returned to Andrew's childhood town of Mount Gambier to start a family and a wine label. [^129^] They wanted to grip the earth with their toes and use their knowledge of organic farming and permaculture to create their very own wine label — one that reflected their eccentric personalities as much as the unique terroir of Mount Gambier. [^138^] Their winery, vineyards, and farm sit on the south side of one of Australia's youngest volcanoes — Warwar — which erupted less than 6,000 years ago and is now filled with water that changes colour with the seasons. [^134^] The soils are volcanic and limestone-rich, with ancient flint rock scattered below the surface and water filtered through underground limestone caves. [^134^] The cool climate, combined with this incredible soil complexity, creates growing conditions unlike anywhere else in Australia. Andrew is the farmer and winemaker; Louise is the musician and creative force. Together, they make wines of extreme purity and complexity — barrel-fermented whites, open-top fermented reds, skin-contact wines, and pét-nats — all grown, made, and bottled on-site in their small winery. [^131^] Their daughter Frankie is the namesake of one of their most beloved cuvées. This is a family project, a community project, and a deeply personal expression of place.
Homecoming & New Beginnings
Andrew Burchell grew up in Mount Gambier, the largest city in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. It is a place defined by its geology — an ancient inland sea turned to limestone, now fed by underground caves and generous rainfall, with pockets of flint rock scattered through the soils. [^134^] The region is cool, wet, and unlike the warm, dry winegrowing areas that dominate Australian viticulture. For years, Mount Gambier was not considered a wine region at all. But Andrew saw something others missed: potential.
Andrew and Louise met, married, and spent time away from Mount Gambier — Andrew working in wine and farming, Louise as a musician. But the pull of home was strong. They returned to Mount Gambier to start a family and a wine label, bringing with them knowledge of organic farming, permaculture, and a desire to create something rooted in place. [^129^] "They wanted to grip the earth with their toes and use their knowledge of organic farming and permaculture to create their very own wine label," one importer noted. [^138^] Creating a sense of community was central to the plan — a place to call home, where they could raise their daughter Frankie around homegrown food, great music, and a love for the land. [^129^]
The property they found sits on the south and south-west side of Warwar — one of Australia's two youngest volcanoes, which erupted less than 6,000 years ago. [^134^] The volcano is now a crater lake, filled with water that changes colour with the seasons — from deep blue in summer to steely grey in winter. The soils are a mix of volcanic topsoil and ancient limestone, with flint rock scattered below. This is not typical Australian vineyard terroir. It is something older, stranger, and more complex — and it produces wines that are unlike anything else in the country.
"They wanted to grip the earth with their toes and use their knowledge of organic farming and permaculture to create their very own wine label."
— Lo-Fi Wines
Volcanic Lakes, Limestone Caves & Flint Rock
Good Intentions Wine Co. leases three vineyards in and around Mount Gambier and is planning the planting of two more on their home farm. [^129^] All are located on the south side of the volcano, where the soils are a complex mix of volcanic topsoil, ancient limestone, and scattered flint rock. The limestone arises from an ancient inland sea, now fed by underground caves and generous rainfall, which stores water in underground limestone caves. [^134^] The limestone filters the water naturally, resulting in pure water thriving with minerality — water that contributes to the incredible soil complexity and, ultimately, to the unique character of the wines. [^134^]
The main estate vineyards are the 'Volcanic Lakes' site — located on the fertile volcanic soils at the foot of Mount Gambier, home to Chardonnay and other varieties [^131^] — and the 'Lake of Fire' home farm, where Pinot Noir is grown on volcanic soils over shallow limestone. [^131^] In addition to their estate vines, Andrew and Louise work with a number of amazing growers throughout the wider Limestone Coast wine region, including sites in Robe and Mount Benson, giving them access to diverse terroirs and varieties. [^134^] The farming is organic and biodynamic — no herbicides, natural preparations like fermented seaweed sprays and worm castings, and a focus on building soil health and biodiversity. [^131^]
The cool climate is the other defining factor. Mount Gambier is genuinely cool — much cooler than McLaren Vale, the Barossa, or even the Adelaide Hills. The growing season is long, the ripening slow, and the acidity naturally high. This is perfect for varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, but Andrew also experiments with Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, and other varieties that would struggle in warmer climates. The result is wines that are elegant, precise, and deeply expressive of their unique terroir — "beautiful, elegant and totally unique Australian wines like no other." [^134^]
The main estate site, located on the fertile volcanic soils at the foot of Mount Gambier. [^131^] Home to Chardonnay and other varieties. The volcanic topsoil gives the wines a distinct mineral, almost smoky character, while the underlying limestone provides acidity and structure. This is the heart of the Good Intentions operation — the site that first convinced Andrew that Mount Gambier could produce world-class wine.
Andrew and Louise's home farm, where Pinot Noir is grown on volcanic soils over shallow limestone. [^131^] The site is stunning — a hill slope with east-west sun exposure, slowly ripening the grapes and developing complex flavours. The Pinot Noir from this site is plump, spicy, and mineral — "a true seductor" with fine, delicate tannins and a specific mineral zing from the volcanic soils. [^128^]
No herbicides, no synthetic chemicals. Natural preparations including fermented seaweed sprays and worm castings. [^131^] Hand-picked fruit, cover crops, and a focus on building soil health and biodiversity. The approach is rooted in permaculture principles — working with the land, not against it. The goal is not just to grow grapes, but to create a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem.
In addition to their estate vines, Andrew and Louise work with growers throughout the Limestone Coast — Robe, Mount Benson, and other sites. [^134^] This gives them access to diverse terroirs and varieties, from Cabernet Franc on red terra rossa and sandy soils over shallow limestone in Robe, [^128^] to Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc on sand over limestone near the ocean at Mount Benson. [^136^] The Limestone Coast is an exciting, diverse region, and Good Intentions is at the forefront of exploring its potential.
Old-World Methods, New-World Terroir
Good Intentions Wine Co. takes an old-world approach to winemaking in one of Australia's newest wine regions. [^134^] The philosophy is minimal intervention: let the land and grapes shine through with as little manipulation as possible. [^131^] All fruit is hand-picked to ensure quality and minimise damage. [^131^] Fermentation is open, using only indigenous yeasts from the vineyard and winery — no cultured yeasts, no additives, no tricks. [^131^] The wines are not fined or filtered, and sulfur is only added in minimal amounts when necessary for stability. [^131^]
The techniques are deliberately traditional. White wines are barrel-fermented and left on lees, with regular stirring to build texture and complexity. [^134^] Red wines are open-top fermented, with varying levels of whole-bunch inclusion depending on the variety and vintage. [^128^] Skin-contact wines — the orange wines that have become a Good Intentions signature — see extended maceration, sometimes for weeks, before being pressed to old oak for ageing. [^128^] The wines are aged in old French oak or stainless steel, then bottled on-site in the small winery. [^131^]
The result is wines of extreme purity and complexity — "wines that reflect us as people and what we believe in," as Andrew puts it. [^134^] The intention is to produce great-tasting, unique wines that express the terroir of Mount Gambier above anything else. [^134^] This is not about following trends or making wines to suit a market. It is about making wines that taste of place — of volcanic soil, limestone caves, flint rock, and cool climate. Wines that could only come from Mount Gambier.
The Warwar Volcano
Warwar — also known as the Blue Lake — is one of Australia's two youngest volcanoes, erupting less than 6,000 years ago. [^134^] It sits at the edge of Mount Gambier, its crater filled with water that changes colour dramatically with the seasons — from deep cobalt blue in summer to a cold, steely grey in winter. The volcano is the spiritual and geological heart of Good Intentions Wine Co. The south and south-west slopes, where Andrew and Louise's vineyards and farm are located, are covered in volcanic topsoil over ancient limestone. The water that feeds the vines comes from underground caves, filtered through limestone, pure and mineral-rich. [^134^] This is not just a backdrop; it is the defining feature of the wine. The volcanic soils give a smoky, mineral edge. The limestone provides acidity and structure. The flint rock scattered through the subsoil adds a saline, almost gunflint character. And the cool climate ensures that the wines are elegant and precise, never overripe or heavy. Warwar is not just a volcano. It is the soul of Good Intentions.
Eccentric, Pure, Deeply Personal
Good Intentions Wine Co. is as much about people as it is about place. Andrew and Louise Burchell are not conventional wine industry figures. Andrew is the farmer — hands in the soil, eyes on the vines, deeply practical and quietly obsessive about quality. Louise is the musician — creative, expressive, and the force behind the brand's playful, eccentric personality. [^129^] Their daughter Frankie is the namesake of one of the most beloved cuvées, a Cabernet Franc that embodies the family's spirit. [^128^] Together, they are building something that is part winery, part community, part creative project.
The wines reflect this personality. The names are whimsical and deeply personal: "Relatively White," "Gris Diddly Dee," "Floppy Giggle Day," "Loubadie Doo," "Noir Dee Doot Dah," "Ooh La La Noir." [^128^] These are not corporate wine names; they are expressions of a family, a place, and a way of seeing the world. The wines themselves are equally distinctive — skin-contact Sauvignon Blanc that tastes of flint and sea spray, Pinot Gris blended with Pinot Noir rosé for a savoury, saline, pomegranate-smashed mouthful, [^128^] Chardonnay that is chalky, oxidative, and rich in minerality with "acidity to die for." [^128^]
Mount Gambier is still an emerging wine region, and Good Intentions is its most visible — and most authentic — voice. The wines have gone from strength to strength over the last few years, as cuvées have tightened and become more precise. [^129^] Andrew and Louise are not just making wine; they are building a region, creating a community, and proving that cool-climate, volcanic, limestone-rich Australia can produce wines that stand alongside the best of the Old World. "Our intention is to produce great tasting unique wines, expressing the unique terroir of Mount Gambier / Berrin above anything else," Andrew declares. [^134^] This is at the heart of Good Intentions Wine Co.
"Our intention is to produce great tasting unique wines, expressing the unique terroir of Mount Gambier / Berrin above anything else. This is at the heart of Good Intentions Wine Co."
— Andrew & Louise Burchell
The Good Intentions Range
Good Intentions Wine Co. produces a diverse, ever-evolving range of wines from their estate vineyards in Mount Gambier and partner growers across the Limestone Coast. The portfolio spans skin-contact whites, barrel-fermented Chardonnays, light reds, pét-nats, and rosés — all made with minimal intervention, indigenous yeasts, no fining, no filtration, and minimal sulfur. The names are as distinctive as the wines: playful, personal, and deeply rooted in the Burchell family's eccentric spirit. Prices are approximate and vary by market.