About us - Organic One

The Bonic family has been producing wine for many generations in Australia and Croatia.

Their special knowledge arrived on Australian soil with Jure and Eve Bonic in 1960. Beginning their new lives in Sydney, they worked hard and saved in the city because their dream was to build a vineyard.

When they found Jerilderie, about 600km south-west of Sydney, 10 years later their dream was realised.

Jure noted that the grazing cattle were healthy and vibrant and just as importantly, the vegetables grown in the region were more sweet and flavoured because of the mineral-rich soil. Eve loved the proximity of Billabong Creek – Australia’s longest creek.

The dry climate and long sunny days were also appealing.

Organic One was to become one of Australia’s first organic vineyards.

The Bonic family were pioneers in organic wine-making and that heritage has been honoured and taken to new levels by their sons John and Frank.

Now, the second Bonic generation has created a high-tech winery producing ultra premium wine that is not only pure in flavour. Its special vibrance nourishes the body and uplifts the spirit.

Frank Bonic

Director & Vigneron, Organic One Wines

Frank Bonic is a pioneer of ultra premium wines.

He is exacting in his craft and has a singular approach to wine-making that is based on both an instinctive and well-researched understanding. He has an innate gift with plants which may seem eccentric to some but to most, it is the most natural thing in the world to work with, rather than against plants. He `feels’ what they need for nourishment and protection and with each passing year those needs are not only met, they are enhanced.

Introduced to wine-making as a child by his parents, he went on to develop and refine his craft in Australia and around the world.

After gaining a Wine Science degree at Charles Sturt University he worked for three years as a winemaker at Miranda Wines and Brown Brothers in Australia. But he wanted to further his experience by working on vineyards in France, Italy, Spain and Argentina. He then went to Grgich Hills in the Napa Valley, California which converted to a biodynamic vineyard after his visit.

His dedication, inspired vision and passion has set him apart as a wine-maker and those same qualities filter through to his outstanding wine.

Soil is the start of great wine.

At Organic One the soil is a living, breathing home to the vines.

It is rich in microbes because it is not damaged by any foreign chemicals. A special biodynamic compost helps the earth generate its own minerals, microbes and nutrients that are essential for highly flavoured grapes.

All life forms are honoured here as animals and plants share the land.

The 112 ha vineyard and a 9ha wildlife sanctuary makes it a type of natural playground for the birds, kangaroos, goats, sheep, hares, cows and insects. It is a place where the vines can thrive. In France it is known as terroir, or sense of place, where geography bestows special taste characteristics upon grape varieties.

After harvest, sheep are brought into the vineyard to eat the wild grass and rub against the vines, multiplying the microbes and returning them to the soil to keep it alive and fertile. Grazing animals also help to boost the vines’ immunity so they are naturally resilient and do not need preservatives.

Planting and harvesting is also done in rhythm with the moon’s cycles. As the plants grow wild among the vines they act as an alternative to prey for the vines and bring in additional nitrogen from the atmosphere. The wild growth is cut back, becomes part of the compost and the cycle of growth and regeneration continues.

The wine is produced from this living community where life gives life and the cycle of abundance is ever-flowing.

The healthier the grapes, the healthier the wine.

The perfection of the grapes in Organic One make it a superfood.

It is rich in nutrients, full of flavour and chemical free at every stage of the wine-making process. People with allergies, depleted immunity or any health concerns can happily drink Organic One.

The grapes are not only high in vitamin C and K, copper, potassium, antioxidants and phytosterols but the quality of the nutrients is also excellent.

The wine  is packed with anti-ageing resveratrol, it aids digestion, increases energy levels and though we don’t encourage testing this claim it never causes hangovers. Many people who have had allergic reactions to other wines are able to drink Organic One.

Its health value is distinguished in many ways starting with the decision not to use any chemicals in the wine.

Our bodies were not designed to ingest, digest or process the artificial ingredients found in chemical additives, preservatives and the residue of inorganic fertilisers and toxic pesticides. These chemicals can be responsible for many health problems such as headache, indigestion, asthma and eczema.

But Organic One is more than organic. It is a feat of nature.

The physical benefits are equally matched by the feeling the wine brings. It is charged with such positive energy that it lifts occasions by lifting spirits. It is both relaxing and energising which explains its popularity at special occasions.

Its magical effects last well beyond the moment making this the ultimate feel-good wine.

Our specially prepared biodynamic compost mix provides our vines with all the minerals, beneficial microbes and other essential nutrients required for healthy growth.

Soil plays a massive role in the health of our vines which, in turn, will have a profound effect on the final taste and vitality of our wines.

Enriching the soil is fundamental to Organic One’s farming practices. We do this by promoting optimal microbial activity in our natural composting processes, growing cover crops, using‘vine-friendly’ animal husbandry and adopting biodiversity.

Composting & Microbial Activity

Healthy soil means happy vines which make beautiful wines.

Instead of using chemical fertilizers, which are commonly used in commercial winegrowing to maximize crop yields at the expense of quality and the natural environment, we create our own special composting mix.

Our specially prepared biodynamic compost mix provides our vines with all the minerals, beneficial microbes and other essential nutrients required for healthy growth.

The vines are energised through the compost, where the microbes convert the compost to  healthy food for the soil and vines.

Animal Husbandry – A Simple Symbiosis

Plants need animals as much as the animals need plants.

We allow sheep to roam free at out vineyards to enhance our vineyards soil quality and health of the vines.

As the sheep eat the grass, beneficial microbes naturally multiply in their intestines and are pass out onto the soil. In turn these microbes mineralise and enliven the soil that the grape vines feeds on.

The sheep also nibble on the vines transferring beneficial microbes from their mouths to the vine, which boosts our grape vines immune system.

Wild Growth

Wild growth can be ploughed back into the earth as a way of enriching the soil.

As part of our organic viticulture practices, we allow natural wild plants to grow between the rows of our vines.

Wild plant growth aids our vines in many ways by…

• Encouraging the natural predators of the vine’s enemies.
• Acting as decoys for anything that preys on the vine.
• Fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere.

To answer the problem of weeds, conventional farmers use chemical weed killers. Our organic alternative is to allow the weeds to grow, and then mow them periodically so that the cut weeds compost back into the ground, thus providing a natural organic nutrition for our vines.

Biodiversity: Weaving the "Web of Life"

We have created a Wildlife Sanctuary lake environment adjoining our vineyard to attract an even greater diversity wildlife. This helps to energetically enliven our environmental farming practice as a holistic system, further enhancing the extra dimensional qualities to our wines.

At Organic One we encourage a more natural environment to enhance our organic viticulture practices. On our vineyards, the vines live in symbiosis with other plants, as well as insects, birds, and other small animals.

This "biodiversity" helps regulate our vineyard soil by attracting beneficial insects, spiders and predatory mites, as well as provide shelter and food (pollen, nectar and other bugs), which replaces the need for harnful chemical pesticides or insecticides.

The Bonic Family vineyards are certified Biodynamic