Wine from Ancient Earth
Manon Farm is a biodynamic natural wine estate perched high on the Forest Range ridge of the Adelaide Hills — 600 metres above sea level with views straight down to the Gulf St Vincent. Founded in 2016 by Tim Webber and Monique Millton, the farm occupies 25 acres of some of Australia's oldest geology: 600-million-year-old Cambrian mica schists, ironstone quartz seams, and red clay. Only 15 acres are under vine; the rest is orchards, vegetable gardens, and native forest. Every wine is made exclusively from estate-grown fruit — dry-farmed, biodynamically tended, with zero additions in the cellar. Nothing is added, nothing is filtered, and nothing is released until ready. The result is pure, vibrant, mineral-driven wine that speaks directly of this extraordinary place.
A Chef & a Farmer Find Their Ridge
Tim Webber and Monique Millton moved to Forest Range in 2016, bringing with them two extraordinary backgrounds. Monique comes from a pioneering family of farmers in New Zealand whose vineyards were the first in the country to be recognised as biodynamic — a lineage of ecological farming that runs deep in her hands. Tim is a gifted chef who has cooked at some of the world's most interesting restaurants, bringing a palate trained in precision and an instinct for flavour to the cellar. Together, they form a rare partnership: the farmer and the chef, united by a deep passion for the land [^2^].
They chose Forest Range for its elevation, its ancient soils, and its connection to the ocean. At 600 metres, the ridge catches cooling breezes drawn straight up from the Gulf St Vincent, creating a long, slow ripening period that is ideal for their organic approach. The soils are a complex mix of red clay, quartz, and schist — geology formed during the Cambrian period over 600 million years ago. This super-abundance of quartz and mica (silica) gives the wines their compact nature and distinctive mineral character [^1^][^2^].
The property had been planted progressively since 1993, with many small plots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Savagnin, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Garganega, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tim and Monique have since added Gamay, Trousseau, Aleatico, Malvasia, Mondeuse, and more Savagnin — cuttings grown first in their vegetable garden before being planted into the field with a handful of homemade compost. Around 100 mixed heritage and wild fruit trees have also been incorporated to complement and evolve their cider [^1^].
"We wish not to control Nature but to work with, listen to and be attentive every step of the way. Creating a truly diverse working farm with vines, orchards, vegetables and native forest. Our own world truly humming with the vibration of life."
— Manon Farm
Biodynamic Polyculture on Ancient Stone
Manon Farm is not a monoculture. Of the 25 acres, only 15 are devoted to vine. The rest is orchards, vegetable gardens, and native forest — a polyculture that allows nature to find its balance. The vines are dry-farmed, receiving no irrigation, and the land is tended using biodynamic principles tailored to the needs of the farm. No chemicals are used; instead, infusions of seaweed, herbs, and minerals help the plants thrive. The focus is on diversity, soil health, and letting the land express itself without force [^1^][^2^].
The elevation and cooling maritime influence create ideal conditions for slow, even ripening. The red clay over schist, interwoven with ironstone quartz, gives the wines a compact, mineral-driven structure that is rare in Australian wine. The farm acknowledges its position on the traditional lands of the Peramangk and Kaurna peoples, respecting their spiritual relationship with Country [^1^].
Perched on the ridge between Basket Range and Lenswood, Forest Range is one of the Adelaide Hills' most elevated sub-regions. Cooling air drawn up from the Gulf St Vincent creates a long, slow ripening period. The 600-million-year-old Cambrian geology — mica schists, ironstone quartz, red clay — gives the wines their distinctive mineral backbone and compact structure.
No irrigation. No chemicals. Seaweed, herb, and mineral infusions replace synthetic inputs. Biodynamic preparations are tailored to the farm's specific needs. The goal is not maximum yield but maximum expression — vines that struggle a little, roots that dive deep, and fruit that carries the imprint of the ancient soils beneath.
Manon Farm produces wine exclusively from grapes grown on their own land. They do not supplement with fruit from other growers. This means some years production is very limited — or tiny — but every bottle carries the complete story of the farm, the season, and the hands that tended it.
Vines share the land with orchards, vegetable gardens, and native forest. Around 100 mixed heritage and wild fruit trees contribute to the farm's cider programme. This diversity is not incidental — it is the foundation of the farm's health, creating habitat, building soil, and ensuring resilience in a changing climate.
Patience, Gravity & Zero Additions
In the cellar, time is the only ingredient that matters. Grapes are picked in small selections by hand and travel just a few metres to the winery. Fermentation is wild and undisturbed. No additions are made at any point — no sulfur, no yeasts, no enzymes, no fining agents. The wines are left to settle through the winter months with no interruptions, just the occasional visit for a taste [^11^].
Bottling is done gently, entirely by gravity. The wines are sealed with natural unbleached cork and then left to rest in the cellar for different periods of time. Nothing is filtered. Nothing is fined. The wines remain raw, living, honest — an illustration of the vines they tend. Importantly, nothing is released until Tim and Monique feel it is ready, allowing the wines to gather layers of character and poise [^11^].
This patience is perhaps the defining feature of Manon Farm's winemaking. Where many natural wine producers rush to market, Tim and Monique let their wines evolve in bottle, gaining complexity and stability through time rather than intervention. The result is wine that feels complete — not just natural, but fully realised [^2^].
The Terroir in the Glass
The combination of 600m elevation, ancient Cambrian soils, dry-farming, and biodynamic care creates wines of unusual mineral clarity and compact structure. The quartz and mica schist geology — 600 million years old — imparts a distinct silica-driven backbone to both whites and reds. The cool, slow ripening preserves acidity and freshness, while the red clay and ironstone give body and earth. These are not wines of power; they are wines of place — precise, mineral, and alive.
A Farm Truly Humming with Life
Manon Farm is more than a winery — it is a living ecosystem, a family home, and a statement of intent. Tim and Monique are deeply passionate about the land, and for them this extends well beyond the growing of grapes. The vegetable gardens feed them and their community. The orchards provide fruit for cider. The native forest shelters wildlife and builds soil. Every element of the farm is connected, and the wine is simply one expression of a larger commitment to living in harmony with nature [^1^][^2^].
Their wines have found a following in natural wine bars and restaurants across Australia and beyond — served by those who understand that "natural" is not a excuse for fault, but a pathway to purity. Manon Farm represents a new generation of Australian natural wine: technically rigorous, ecologically committed, and emotionally resonant. The wines are enjoyed by a growing community of drinkers who seek authenticity over polish, and place over brand [^2^].
"Not just natural wine, but good wine. Wine that expresses an honest sense of place, without extraction, manipulation, or heavy handedness in the winery."
— Tuttowines
The Manon Farm Range
All wines are made from estate-grown, biodynamically farmed grapes with zero additions of any kind. Hand-harvested in small selections, wild-fermented, unfiltered, unfined, and bottled by gravity with natural unbleached cork. Production is limited and varies significantly by vintage — some years yield only a handful of barrels. The range includes reds, whites, orange wines, rosato, and a celebrated cider [^10^][^11^].