feature profile i wrote for class last year

At 6.30pm on a Monday night, on the Mornington Peninsula, Duncan Buchanan tries to think of a way to best describe his job. Two guitars and a banjo hang on the wall, a drum kit and a piano in the other room; CD’s and vinyls line the walls. Anyone would think he’s an aspiring musician.

“I like to think I can play those,” he says. “Other people may beg to differ.” Duncan is not a musician. He is a winemaker and viticulturalist; but not just any.

Duncan has recently been appointed as the chief winemaker and viticulturalist for Dromana Estate, one of the biggest wine producers on the Mornington Peninsula.

According to the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association, there are over 200 vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula with Dromana Estate being one of the biggest and the best.

Established in 1982, Dromana Estate produces over 20’000 cases of wine a year and is recognised worldwide.

“Everything that happens in the vineyard and winery has to go through me to be approved,” says Duncan. From dealing with vineyard issues to wine styles to the hiring and firing of people, Duncan has his hands full. “I have a lot of input into what gets done but I don’t do a lot of it.”

Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula as the youngest of five boys, Duncan wanted to be an accountant or maybe an electrician. Right now, he couldn’t be further from what he perceived.

Moving to Melbourne at the age of 19, Duncan admits he was clueless. “I got a job in what was at the time a very fashionable clothing shop. All of a sudden I’m wearing a suit to work every day.” A bit different to the heavy work boots and dirt under the fingernails he encounters today.

After getting bored with the suit-wearing and ‘dealing with the public life’, Duncan decided that it was time to conquer the big wide world, of travelling around India.

“I came back from India a remarkably skinny 22 year old who didn’t know what the hell he was going to do,” said Duncan. “I ended up working for a vineyard contracting business called Vaughan Vineyard Maintenance and doing a degree through that.”

Just six years later Duncan finished his viticulture degree at Charles Sturt University in Wagga. According to Duncan it was the best experience ever. “You’re working and studying at the same time so it’s fairly difficult but you’re getting industry experience as well as your tertiary qualifications.”

With 15 years of experience under his belt, Duncan has tried everything job-wise in the wine industry. “I was a vineyard labourer to start with. I’ve managed vineyards and I had my own viticultural consultancy company for a couple of years.”

The Mornington Peninsula is well known for creating a variety of wine varieties at very high quality. So to ask a winemaker what his favourite wine to make is may seem like the hardest question to ask.

But Duncan did not have to think twice about his answer.

“My favourite wine to make from a challenge point of view is pinot noir. I’m sure you’d get the same answer out of a lot of Mornington Peninsula producers.”

“It presents a good challenge and when you get it right it’s fantastic. It is a real sense of accomplishment.”

The Mornington Peninsula is famous for its pinot noir which is just as well as it is the wine that has the most effort put into it.

As the youngest of five boys, Duncan’s mother Lorraine couldn’t be more proud of what her son has achieved. “I am very proud of him. He has climbed up the ladder and done it all on his own,” she says.

“He is quite bright and did very well in school. He’s a lovely person, very caring.”

Everyone has people who have inspired them throughout their careers, but for Duncan many people inspired him through their negativity.

“There are people who have been inspirational in their negativity. A lot of people have stared down their nose at what you do and say you’ll never make it through.” Duncan said.

“It’s just a shot in the arm you need to prove them wrong.”

Duncan certainly has proved them wrong and he has some sound advice for dealing with people like that.

“Take their negativity and just bounce straight off it. Don’t ever let it get to you.”

But not all have been discouraging. Two prominent viticulturalists in particular, based on the Mornington Peninsula have helped Duncan get to where he is today.

“There’s never one actual person that has been an amazing inspiration. A man called Joe Vaughan was a really good inspiration in the start of my career.

“[Also] my former boss Rollo Crittenden; he’s a bit of a hard bastard, just because he used to push a lot.”

Retiring to work on the family vineyard, Rollo is nothing but complimentary of what he thinks Duncan can achieve at Dromana Estate.

“Duncan has been in the industry long enough and has a practical mind. He knows when to have fun and when to knuckle down. I think he’ll do a good job.”

In every job, no matter how glamorous it is, there are good and bad things about it. According to Duncan, the best thing about his job is making wine and seeing the end result. Sound’s a bit obvious doesn’t it? But apparently, there is a lot more too it.

“I think the best part of my job is putting out something that looks great and to think ‘we made this’. It’s remarkably rewarding being able to pour it around for your mates.”

When asked what the worst thing about his job is, Duncan struggled to think of something. Eventually he came up with something that many people would agree with: dealing with the public.

Just returning from a wine trade show in Sydney, Duncan says he loved to chat to people in the industry about Australian wine. From 5pm every night the trade show was open to the public. Costing $30 for entry, many people saw it as a chance to drink as much as they can in the space of four hours.

“It’s very difficult to keep smiling and trying to be the remarkable ambassador for your wine brand. You just want them to all go home and go to bed.”

When Duncan is not in the winery or out in the vineyard, he is usually found sitting at a piano and playing the guitar, trying to teach himself a new song.

Playing in a number of bands when he was younger, Duncan admits he lost the enthusiasm a long time ago.

“When I was in my 20’s, I’d drive to the Tote Hotel on a Tuesday night and play in front of half a dozen people for a couple of pints of beer and that was okay.”

“Music for me is a hobby and I’ve always treated it as such.”

So he’s never going to be a famous musician then?

“If I’m ever going to be a millionaire I’m going to have to get very good at making wine. I’m certainly not talented or young enough to be making a heap of money out of music.”