There’s a quiet revolution happening at Ravensworth. Step onto Bryan Martin’s property in Murrumbateman, and it’s clear you’ve entered a place where tradition and experimentation are in deep conversation. Martin has crafted an estate that feels more like a living, breathing ecosystem than a typical vineyard. Ravensworth isn’t just about wine; it’s about the land, the rhythm of seasons, and the artistry of transformation.
In a region steeped in cool-climate classics, Martin’s wines stand apart—uncompromisingly honest, complex, and refreshingly alive. From Rieslings that age with incredible grace to benchmark Shiraz Viogniers and a raft of alternative varieties, Ravensworth is a place where each bottle tells a story of soil, sustainability, and paitence.
Martin has poured not just his time but also his heart into Ravensworth. His cellar, built partly with compressed hay and local mud, is a nod to both sustainability and Canberra's rugged aesthetic. It’s packed with an assortment of vessels: amphoras, ceramic eggs, foudres, and even glass globes—each carefully chosen to elevate the natural qualities of the wines within them.
"I think having options is great... if you've got things like concrete tanks and ceramic tanks and amphoras... you have options with whether it’s the variety or the style of wine you’re making. You can actually sort of take more time with it."
"Take your time with it... Make a wine that we can say, okay, well this is like, made the same as the other wine... it’s not tinkering with it, it’s all it is, is the grapes, the microbiome they come with and time."
Ravensworth’s vineyards are alive, wild, and free of chemicals. Martin’s organic philosophy goes beyond certification, embracing biodiversity as an essential part of the vineyard’s ecosystem. This patchwork of organic plant life promotes deep-rooted vines that need minimal water and no fertiliser, aligning with Martin’s belief that great wine begins with resilient vines that “look after themselves.”
"With growing any sort of fruit... it grows its best if it just looks after itself. Whereas if you're having to constantly fertilise and water... that ends up changing the... flavours... and with grapes, you ferment them to wine... you really are trying to carry that idea of place into the wine."
Visitors might see a messy undergrowth of wildflowers, grasses, and spider webs—hardly the neat rows of a typical vineyard—but Martin sees health, diversity, and “a community” thriving among his vines. It’s a symphony of natural elements supporting each other, creating wines that are both robust and elegant, even as they age.
A certified serial 'tinkerer', Martin revels in the challenge of crafting unexpected blends that defy convention. Take his 2013 Grainery—a field blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc. Aged over a decade, it retains its marzipan body, honeyed complexity, and refreshing acidity. As Martin’s experimentation with blending and fermentation evolves, he remains firmly rooted in Canberra’s pedigree, celebrating its hallmarks of freshness and vibrancy in every bottle.
"We dug trenches in the vineyard... the soil looks fantastic... it's got all that... white mycelium growing... really friable... when we were planting the vines... you can almost dig the holes with your hand."
Beyond the winery and the vineyard, the Ravensworth estate is a reflection of Martin’s life philosophy. On his property, he and his wife Jocelyn raise their own vegetables, tend bees, and produce their own honey. There’s an Italian-made pizza oven that takes all day to heat but promises two days of cooking joy.
It’s indulgent, impractical even, but it’s quintessentially Bryan Martin. He finds more stress in tending his garden and pickling tomatoes than in any winemaking challenge, relishing the connection to land and sustenance that it brings.
"The last thing I want to do is spray herbicides around... it's a lot more work... but it makes a difference... it just seems to be alive. You go in the vineyard and... you see all sorts of things growing there."
Martin’s wines tell stories of the land and of a man whose relentless curiosity shapes everything he touches. From pioneering organic practices to experimenting with diverse vessels, he crafts wines that are deeply Canberra yet universally compelling. Ravensworth’s Shiraz Viognier, Grainery, and aged Rieslings have captivated palates from wine lovers to industry giants, earning Ravensworth its place as a treasured name in Australian wine.
"The vineyard and the winery... they’re part of who I am... each vintage finds its own way, and that’s what makes it beautiful."
Martin’s Ravensworth is a world where nothing is hurried, yet everything is in constant evolution—a place where history, nature, and innovation collide in the glass. For wine lovers, each bottle offers a taste of Bryan Martin’s quiet yet audacious vision, proving again and again why he’s one of Australia’s most beloved and respected winemakers.