Five Mates, One Valley & Zero Zero

The home vineyard — known as Gino's Block — sits on the Golden Mile in the south-eastern Swan Valley. Planted in 1986, it grows Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Grenache on Loton's Gravelly Sand soils. The vineyard is managed organically with the help of friends and family. No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilisers. The Swan Valley's warm, dry climate and reliable water table allow the vines to thrive without irrigation — dry-grown, old-vine fruit of remarkable concentration and character.

But Local Weirdos doesn't stop at the Golden Mile. They source extraneous parcels of fruit from organically managed vineyards across the south-west of Western Australia — including other vineyards in the Swan Valley, Frankland River, and Albany. This allows them to experiment with different varieties, different sites, and different expressions while maintaining their commitment to organic viticulture. The Frankland River fruit contributes Riesling and other varieties. The Albany fruit brings cool-climate freshness. The Swan Valley fruit provides warmth and richness.

The philosophy is clear: organic viticulture coupled with minimal to zero intervention winemaking. A number of their wines fit the criteria for "zero zero" — organic winemaking with zero additions whatsoever, including sulphites. This is a secondary aim for the project — something they enjoy experimenting with as long as the wines still hold interest and palatability. The vineyard is not just a source of fruit; it is a statement of intent. "We exist to highlight our passion for the preservation and celebration of our unique locality."

Local Weirdos is not just a winery — it is a community project. The five founders are friends first, business partners second. They work with friends and family in the vineyard. They source dry goods, graphic design, and stockists from small, local, independent businesses. They acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the land they farm. This is wine made with a deep sense of place and responsibility — not just to the land, but to the community that surrounds it.

The Swan Valley is undergoing a renaissance. For decades, it was overshadowed by Margaret River and the Great Southern — regions with bigger marketing budgets and more international recognition. But the old vines of the Swan Valley, planted as far back as the 19th century, are a resource that cannot be replicated. Local Weirdos is part of a new wave of Swan Valley producers — alongside Chouette, Vino Volta, and others — who are reimagining what the region can be. Chenin Blanc, once dismissed as a workhorse variety, is now the valley's hero grape. Grenache, long used for fortified wine, is finding new life as a table wine. Semillon, the valley's historic white, is being transformed through skin contact and minimal intervention.

The labels are distinctive, the names are playful, and the wines are unmistakably honest. Local Weirdos doesn't pretend to be something it's not. They are five mates making wine they love, from fruit they tend, in a valley they believe in. "We love making wines that we love and we acknowledge that this project wouldn't be possible without the help of friends, family, local businesses and of course, you." This is the anti-corporate wine project — small, independent, community-driven, and deeply committed to the idea that wine should feel good to drink, to share, and to stand behind.