Independent wine label, Strenua, is produced in Chum Creek by friends Dale Wheeler and Rhen Dodd. The property sold in 2011 and the new owners had no desire to manage the 22-year-old vines, so they offered them to students at Melbourne Polytechnic`s Epping campus.

Mr Wheeler, 29, from Coburg, and Mr Dodd, 29, from Thornbury took up the offer during their studies in 2013. “Combining what knowledge we had from uni and then hard work and trial and error we`ve come a long way in the last couple of years,` Mr Wheeler said.The results speak for themselves, with the first 25 cases of rosé and chardonnay selling out. Strenua’s sirah also is selling well.

`It`s nice to see that it was well received by the public and not just our mates,` Mr Wheeler said. `It`s a good starting point and it gave us momentum.` 

The wines are produced with natural fertilisers such as cover crops, seaweed and site-fermented fish emulsions for a minimal impact approach to grape production. Sheep also help keep the grass under vines at bay.

`We made a decision early on to run the vineyard completely organically, with a focus on generating greater biodiversity within the soils,` Mr Wheeler said.

Mr Wheeler, originally from Brisbane, has a business background which has helped get the label off the ground.

Image courtesy and full article can be found at source Heraldsun.com.au