By Simon Collins
Half a century after planting the first Pinot Noir vines in the Southern Forests, Pemberton Pinot defines the region, producing some of the best light to medium-bodied reds around.
Lisa Radomiljac of Pemberley of Pemberton is a staunch advocate for her adopted home and pays tribute to the likes of John Brocksopp of Leeuwin Estate, Bill and Sandra Pannell from Moss Wood and Swan Valley icon John Kosovich for their role in establishing the wine region.
“They’re important to the story of our region and their efforts are why we’re able to see success today,” she says. “Pinot has been integral to the success of the Pemberton wine region. It’s why there’s still vines in the ground here.”
Lisa met her husband Jordan Radomiljac in 2016. Both had just returned to the Southern Forests after studying – him molecular biology, her design and education.
Two years later, she moved to Pemberton and became absorbed in the rhythms of the Pemberley farm estate – a mix of pasture for cattle and crops, vines and bush.
In addition to the 18-hectare main property, the family also manages two nearby vineyards adding up to around 300km of grapevines, according to Radomiljac.
Jordan’s great-grandfather emigrated from Croatia and settled near Manjimup, working in logging and farming, while his great-grandmother came out from England during the Group Settlement Era.
The family eventually started faming in Eastbrook and Jordan’s dad, David, was born one hill over from where Pemberley is today.
“It’s really special to feel like the family has been on these lands for so long,” Lisa says. “David has a real sense of pride and responsibility over the part of the world we call home, as he’s been full-time farming it for 45 years now.”
The Radomiljacs began with mixed agriculture, adjusting what they grew to demand. Today you’d call it pivoting, to them it was just common sense.
The family also ran a catering business in the 1980s, which Lisa describes as a “full-on paddock to plate operation”. They kept chickens to lay eggs for the sponge cakes, pigs for the spit roast, and grew the veggies and fruit.
“If someone was married in the 80s in Pemberton, no doubt they catered for it.”
COOL CHANGE
Around this time, the first cool-climate vines were planted in the region, at Gloucester Ridge, Donnelly River and Channybearup. David and his wife Monica got into the grape game in 1994, planting two hectares.
“David had no prior experience in wine before starting,” Lisa explains. “He wasn’t even a wine drinker. He saw that others were recommending it and, with his skills in farming, he felt it could work out.”
Pemberley’s first wines were made in 1998 by local winemakers, including Patrick Cootes at Salitage and David Crawford at Willow Bridge.
The farm sold grapes to Willow Bridge, which turned the fruit into two consecutive best Sauvignon Blanc winners at the Adelaide Wine Show.
“That really helped put us on the map,” Lisa says. “It developed our reputation as premium cool-climate grape growers.”
Robert Bowen, who was working at Willow Bridge during those years, began making Pemberley wines, eventually making all their wine between 2009 and 2017.
Bowen is the only recipient of all three of WA’s top wine gongs; the Diana Cullen, Ian Tyrer and Jack Mann Awards.
His son Nic now makes Pemberley’s drops alongside winemakers from Silkwood, Fermoy and Alkoomi.
“It’s really fantastic to be working with Nic Bowen, not only because we think he’s one of the best sparkling winemakers in the State, but because he’s the son of Robert Bowen,” Lisa says.
“It’s cool to be working with the next generation of winemakers, and we’re the next generation of viticulturalists.”
Pemberley are primarily contract grape growers, with 90 per cent of their fruit going to wineries across WA, and the remainder to their own label.
“We approach wines with the ethos that you have to get it right in the vineyard to get a good result,” Lisa offers. “We focus on the farming aspect, ensuring that the grapes are top quality and suited to the styles of wines we prefer.”
PROSECCO POWER
While her favourite is undoubtedly Pemberley’s Pinot Noir, she loves the winery’s popular Prosecco. The bright, crisp and light-bodied bubbly came about when Howard Park approached them to make the Italian-style sparkling.
After being “amazed” by the growth of grafted Glera vines, the winery expanded the number of blocks dedicated to producing grapes for their Prosecco.
Drinkers have rewarded their decision, according to Lisa.
“Our Pemberley Prosecco has exploded in popularity and the local publican swears that the uptick in birthrate in the Southern Forests can be tied to its release,” she laughs.
The sparkling wine’s bottle is adorned in an Art Deco label, a connection to Lisa’s master’s thesis focused on regional WA Art Deco architecture.
Hailing from Manjimup, Lisa has worked at cellar doors and hospitality venues in the region. Her parents had a hobby farm with marron, truffles and cattle.
“I was the ‘son’ of my family,” she says. “My pocket money through high school was earned by catching marron and selling them wholesale to restaurants.
“When I left the region, I was so excited to get away from the small-town feeling but, now that I’m back, it’s one of the things I appreciate most.”
Lisa says Pemberton is a tight-knit community of folks with a can-do attitude and pride in the place they call home.
“There’s so many people here who are giving it a really good crack and it’s great to surround yourself with those types of people.”
TRUFFLES AND MORE
Today, in addition to grapes, Pemberley farm also has potatoes, marron, about 70 head of Angus beef cattle and black truffles.
While spuds have been grown in the area for more than a century, truffles are an emerging business. Pemberley are yet to produce a commercial quantity, but the “black gold” is a great addition for their cellar door and agritourism offering.
Monica also has a “side project” breeding pedigree labrador retrievers for the past 30 years.
“Labs are excellent dogs for truffle hunting, as they’re easily motivated by treats and have great noses,” Lisa explains. “They don’t always have the best work ethic though.
“We’ve survived over the years because of our diversity,” she continues. “If the weather affects the grape yield, then we plant more potatoes, or if cattle prices are low, we go harder on the marron wholesaling.
“We’ve survived many a storm this way, even though we find ourselves stretched thin sometimes.”
The Radomaljic clan are tireless champions for their patch.
Pemberley celebrated the region’s potato harvest earlier this year with In the Rows, which featured a dinner pairing five different spud dishes with wines.
The event will return next summer as part of the overall campaign to attract more tourists to the Southern Forests.
“The region produced 109,000 tons of fruit and vegetables worth $233 million in 2023-24, including almost all of WA’s truffles, 86 per cent of avocados, 55 per cent of apples and 37 per cent of potatoes,” Lisa says.
“I can’t help but mention these numbers – they tell the story of the region.
“There’s plenty of people who know about us, and more and more each year who are choosing the Southern Forests as an alternative holiday destination after growing tired of other South West locations.
“You just need to open your eyes to what’s out there,” she adds. “The best and most authentic experiences are often the ones without the highest marketing budget.”