I imagine as has been the case for many people, Paulo Coelho played an influential part in my decision to walk the Camino in 2015. Certainly not the influence, but an influence all the same.  So when I came across this quite recent quote from him it seemed very fitting, drawing a connection between the Camino and one of my life's greatest exploits and resultant achievements, and his underlying words to at least give everything a go once, and finally of course, wine.  I couldn't go past it.  Coelho's words talk to me of another aspect of life's journey, and into that broader journey I need to weave the more specific journey which has led to to creation of Crofamiul Wines. (A question we often receive is "where did the name come from, and what does the word crofamiul actually mean?"  Well, there's a story, which perhaps we could tell over a glass of Crofamiul wine one day.)

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Back to the journey.  It started with a chance meeting with winemaker Marius Mencel of Purple Feet outside the Dunsborough, WA post office in late 2020.  Marius excitedly told me of his garagista wine project, and invited me to be part of it.  To be honest, at first I didn't quite know what he was telling me.

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But just a few weeks later, along with friend Ian Hobson, I was standing in Marius's private and quite exclusive winery in Quedjinup sampling some of his 2020 vintage wines, and therein started the journey proper.  Over a few weeks in April 2021, with my wife Janet and syndicate partners Ian, Dave Andrew and Duncan Clegg present at various stages, the journey involved harvest, de-stemming, transportation and crushing, and lastly of course an initial sampling.  Crofamiul Wines was truly born.