Nature's Farmer, Burgundy's Soul
Jennifer and John Nagorcka began the development of Hochkirch in 1990 with a small planting using conventional Australian viticultural practices and varietal selection. [^140^] The approach was subsequently radically modified in response to the very cool climate — growing season temperatures similar to those in Burgundy. [^148^] After years of trial, error, and hard-won learning, they moved to organic farming in 1997 and then to biodynamics in 1999, following the method developed by Alex Podolinsky. [^146^] Today, Hochkirch Wines is Demeter certified, with 25 acres of dry-grown, hand-pruned, hand-harvested vines across two sites: the 20-acre Hochkirch vineyard and the 5-acre Tarrington vineyard. [^146^] The wines — Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc — are made in a gravity-fed, three-level winery with minimal intervention: indigenous yeasts, no fining, no filtration, and sulfur used only sparingly. [^145^] John, a former radiologist who returned to his family's 700-acre farm, is now recognised as one of Australia's most committed biodynamic practitioners — "Nature's Farmer," as one profile called him. [^150^] The wines are alive, detailed, and vivid — a testament to 30+ years of listening to the land.
From Medicine to the Soil
John Nagorcka's path to wine was unconventional. After finishing secondary school, he spent a few years working on the family farm in Tarrington, southwestern Victoria, but then left to study medicine in Melbourne, later specialising in radiology. [^145^] He worked in Melbourne and Bendigo, but his interest in farming never waned. In the 1990s, he and Jenny became increasingly involved in the family farm, eventually buying the 700-acre property from John's parents. [^145^]
In 1990, driven by "the ignorance and hubris of youth but also motivated by more humble and sensible motives," they planted 3 acres of vines as an experiment — 7 varieties seeking guidance for varietal selection in this cold, marginal climate. [^146^] It was, by John's own admission, a spectacular failure. "With limited direct experience and relying on industry best practice and advice we achieved the rare outcome of doing almost everything badly." [^146^] The varieties were wrong. The layout was wrong — low-density plantings in wide rows with high trellis, standard Australian practice at the time, proved "spectacularly unsuccessful" in their terroir. [^146^]
But failure was a teacher. Over time, they adapted to a uniform layout of closely spaced rows, closely spaced vines, and low trellis to take advantage of the summer warmth. [^146^] Pinot Noir, Riesling, Semillon, and Syrah proved successful, and these plantings were extended with small additions of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. [^146^] The journey from conventional to organic to biodynamic was not planned; it was a response to what the land demanded. By 1999, after researching Alex Podolinsky's biodynamic method, they made the transition — and have never looked back.
"With limited direct experience and relying on industry best practice and advice we achieved the rare outcome of doing almost everything badly."
— John Nagorcka
Two Sites, One Philosophy
Hochkirch now farms 25 acres across two sites in the Henty wine region of southwestern Victoria — a cool-climate area with growing season temperatures comparable to Burgundy. [^148^] The main Hochkirch vineyard is 20 acres, planted to 11 acres of Pinot Noir, 3 acres of Syrah, 4 acres of Riesling, 1.5 acres of Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, and half an acre of Chardonnay. [^146^] The Tarrington vineyard is 5 acres — 2 acres of Chardonnay and 3 acres of Pinot Noir. [^146^] All vines are dry-grown, hand-pruned, and hand-harvested. No irrigation, no synthetic inputs, no shortcuts.
The farming is Demeter certified biodynamic, following the method developed by Alex Podolinsky. [^140^] This is not a light-touch approach; it is rigorous, labour-intensive, and deeply connected to lunar and seasonal rhythms. Prepared 500 is sprayed after harvest, when the leaves have dropped and sheep have grazed, as soon as there is enough soil moisture. Spring 500 is sprayed before budburst. [^145^] Very low levels of copper and sulfur are used to combat mildews and botrytis, supplemented by 501, casuarina, sodium silicate, and milk (5%). [^145^] Sheep are run in the vineyard periodically, and the rows are cultivated mechanically — a practice John had to relearn from scratch in a country where it was no longer common. [^146^]
The two sites, despite very similar soils, produce quite different wines — a living demonstration of terroir. "Although the soils on the two blocks are very similar, the wines produced are quite different," John notes. "This is where the concept of terroir comes in. Terroir encompasses everything about the site, the soil, the aspect, the microclimate, sun exposure, whether it is shaded for part of the day, soil drainage, ventilation of the site and also the individual grower and winemaker. Very similar sites can produce very different wines." [^145^]
The original home block. 11 acres Pinot Noir, 3 acres Syrah, 4 acres Riesling, 1.5 acres Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, 0.5 acres Chardonnay. [^146^] Demeter certified biodynamic. Dry-grown, hand-pruned, hand-harvested. The wines from this site are marketed under the Hochkirch label — the flagship expressions of the estate.
The newer block, bought a few years ago. 2 acres Chardonnay, 3 acres Pinot Noir. [^146^] In conversion to biodynamic certification when first planted; now fully integrated into the biodynamic system. The wines from this site are marketed under the Tarrington label — a second tier that offers earlier drinking and different expressions of the same varieties.
The biodynamic method as developed by Alex Podolinsky has been used for over 20 years to produce wines of elegance and balance, detailed in their expression of the unique terroir with vivid fruit and distinctive ripe lively acidity. [^140^] Prepared 500, 501, casuarina, sodium silicate, and milk sprays. Sheep grazing, mechanical cultivation, no synthetic inputs. A complete system that treats the farm as a living organism.
No irrigation. No fertiliser inputs. Hand-pruned and hand-harvested. [^145^] The vineyard is mowed with a ride-on mower in the narrower spaced rows (2 metres) and with the tractor and slasher in the wider spaced rows (2.5, 2.8m). [^145^] In wet years, this means mowing 12–15 times instead of the usual 4–5. [^145^] This is labour-intensive farming, but it produces fruit of exceptional quality and character.
Gravity, Indigenous Yeasts & Minimal Sulfur
The Hochkirch winery is built on three levels to minimise pumping — a gravity-fed system that treats the wine gently at every stage. [^145^] The winemaking process is deliberately simple, putting most of the attention into growing healthy fruit and maintaining a vineyard environment conducive to healthy fruit. [^145^] For Pinot Noir, the grapes are partly destemmed (or fully destemmed in cool, wet years when the stalks are not ripe) and placed into an open vat. Most grapes are still intact. A small amount of sulfur dioxide is added to select an active natural yeast population that can resist alcohol and ferment through to dryness. [^145^]
The cap is plunged three or four times a day to extract flavour and prevent vinegary off-aromas. Fermentation takes 10–14 days, after which the grapes are transferred to a pneumatic press. The pressed wine goes into a tank for a few days to settle, then is transferred by gravity to oak barrels for 12–18 months. [^145^] Malolactic fermentation usually starts towards the end of alcoholic fermentation, stops when the weather gets cold, and restarts in November or December. After 18 months, the wine is completely stable. It is racked, a small amount of sulfur is added to preserve freshness, and it is pumped to the middle section for bottling. [^145^]
The philosophy is minimal intervention, not zero intervention. "Conventionally grown wines tend to taste fairly flat, in comparison with many biodynamic wines, which can taste more alive," John explains. [^150^] The goal is not to eliminate all human influence, but to work with nature rather than against it — to guide the wine rather than force it. The result is wines that are vivid, detailed, and full of life — wines that taste of the place they come from and the people who made them.
The Gravity-Fed Winery
The Hochkirch winery is built on three separate levels, a design choice that eliminates the need for pumping and treats the wine with extraordinary gentleness. Grapes arrive at the top level and are destemmed into open vats. Fermented wine is pressed and transferred by gravity to settling tanks on the middle level. After settling, it flows by gravity again into oak barrels on the lower level for ageing. Finally, it is racked and bottled on the middle level. This is not a fancy architectural feature; it is a practical expression of the Nagorckas' philosophy — minimise intervention, maximise respect for the wine. Every pump introduces oxygen, agitation, and potential stress. Gravity introduces none of these. It is slow, gentle, and natural — like everything else at Hochkirch.
Nature's Farmer, Burgundian Heart
John Nagorcka is not a typical Australian winemaker. He is a former radiologist who returned to the land, a conventional farmer who became an organic pioneer, and an organic grower who embraced biodynamics with the rigour of a scientist. "Nature's Farmer," as The Wine Idealist called him. [^150^] His journey from medicine to biodynamic viticulture is not a retreat from modernity; it is an advance toward a deeper understanding of how nature works. The biodynamic method, with its preparations, its lunar calendar, and its insistence on seeing the farm as a living organism, appeals to John's scientific mind precisely because it is systematic, observable, and effective.
Jennifer Nagorcka is the co-founder and equal partner in the enterprise. Together, they have built Hochkirch over 30+ years — not as a brand or a business, but as a way of life. The farm is 700 acres, of which only 25 are vines. [^145^] The rest is sheep, cattle, and broadacre farming — all managed biodynamically. The vineyard is not an isolated operation; it is part of a whole. The sheep graze the vineyard rows, providing manure and weed control. The cattle provide compost. The biodynamic preparations are made on-farm. This is closed-loop agriculture, the way farming was done before industrial inputs existed.
The Hochkirch identity is defined by patience, humility, and a willingness to learn from failure. The first planting was a disaster. The transition to organic was difficult. The move to biodynamics required relearning everything. But each failure taught a lesson, and each lesson made the wines better. Today, Hochkirch is recognised as one of Australia's leading biodynamic wineries, with a reputation for Pinot Noir and Riesling that rivals the best of the cool-climate regions. The wines are sold mainly to Melbourne and Sydney — two-thirds to restaurants, one-third to retailers — with the Biodynamic Marketing Company handling a significant portion of sales. [^145^] This is not a trophy-chasing, high-profile operation. It is a farm, a family, and a philosophy — and the wines are the expression of all three.
"Conventionally grown wines tend to taste fairly flat, in comparison with many biodynamic wines, which can taste more alive."
— John Nagorcka
The Hochkirch Range
Hochkirch Wines produces a focused range of biodynamic, estate-grown wines from the Hochkirch and Tarrington vineyards. The portfolio centres on Pinot Noir — which occupies half the total vineyard area — alongside Riesling, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc. [^146^] All wines are made with minimal intervention in the gravity-fed, three-level winery: indigenous yeasts, open-vat fermentation, gentle pressing, gravity transfer to oak, and minimal sulfur at bottling. [^145^] The wines are vivid, detailed, and alive — a testament to 30+ years of biodynamic farming in one of Australia's coolest wine regions.