Jilly Wine is ever-present in Northern Rivers hotspots. Its on the wine list at places like Bar Heather, Pixie and the Eltham Hotel. Now Jilly’s winemaker Jared Dixon is opening a one-stop-shop for the region’s go-to drop.

“It’s always been a dream to do it,” Dixon tells Broadsheet. “I’ve wanted to have a space where people can come and taste our wines and see where they’re made. We’ve been making wine on this parcel of land for the last 13 years, so I think it was just time to open that space up for people to experience.”

Dixon’s career began far from vineyards, in bustling London kitchens. He developed an interest in wine while working alongside French chefs who often talked about their families’ humble home vineyards. What started as casual curiosity quickly grew into a deeper passion.

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“I was drinking wine with them and just loved the idea of making something like that myself.” That idea stuck with him long after he returned to Oz, and he got a wine science education at Charles Sturt University before tripping around the country honing his skills.

In 2012, he made his first wine: Long Ranger Nebbiolo. In 2018, Dixon planted his first vineyard in Clunes – a half hour drive inland from Byron Bay. (A bold move in a region not known for its wine.) “The Northern Rivers isn’t considered a wine region, but I didn’t want to listen to what textbooks said. The climate is changing, and I just wanted to see for myself if it would work.”

Nothing about the natural, minimal-intervention winery follows the rules – much like Dixon’s own rock’n’roll past as a musician.

“Making wine is a lot like playing music,” he says. “It’s creative, and every year it changes. What I’m listening to, who I’m with, even the food I’m eating – all of it impacts the wine I make.” Jilly’s got playful, distinctive branding – think drops named Banana Girl and Pepper Boy – with arty labels featuring designs from artist friends including Cameron Hawes and Danny Fox, whose pieces grace high-end galleries worldwide. “The artwork tells the story just as much as the wine. It’s part of the whole experience.”

Come December, there’ll be a cellar door in the bushy locale’s rolling hills. Wine tastings will range from simple flights to more in-depth experiences that take visitors through the winemaking process, including a behind-the-scenes look at the vineyard. Drinks will be accompanied by cheese and charcuterie boards with a full menu planned once the venue is up and running.

“I never set out to build Jilly into what it is today. I just wanted to make good wine and enjoy the process. But now that we’re here, I want to share that with people.”

Jilly’s cellar door is expected to open at 1566 Bangalow Road, Clunes, in December 2024.

jillywines.com.au
@jillywineco