‘Remarkable what he’s achieved’: Jenny Woodward on husband’s surprising new career

At 63 and with no experience in the field, Doug Woodward – husband of weather presenter Jenny – decided to take a leap and start his own business. It’s been a big success.

Jenny and Doug Woodward, with bottles from his wine label Wedded to the Weather. Picture: David Kelly

Diners would often pause while browsing the wine list at upmarket Brisbane restaurant Southside. Varieties from Provence, Valencia, the Yarra Valley – and Enoggera.

Stunned looks were exchanged around the table. No, they weren’t mistaken. It did mean the quiet suburb in Brisbane’s northwest. Swirl, sniff, sip. Stunned again. It was delicious.

It is hard to believe that flavoursome lagrein was made in a converted spare bedroom of Doug and Jenny Woodward’s family home, the grapes trucked from Riverland in South Australia and heaved inside in buckets with the help of the neighbours.

“It was even better than seeing my own name. People would sort of look at it, is that ‘Enoggera’?,” Doug, 69, grins, adding a French inflection to the name. “It was a great talking point.”

His label Wedded To The Weather – a nod to his wife Jenny, the longtime ABC weather presenter – being served at premier dining destinations, Southside and Agnes restaurant, felt like the city was offering him a toast. It was a nice reminder of how far he had come since deciding in 2017, aged 63, to dip a toe in the water and make his own wine.

Doug Woodward, with his Wedded to the Weather wine. Picture: David Kelly

“I had no training whatsoever, no experience making wine, I just thought what the hell … sink or swim,” Doug says.

“It’s something 10 years ago wouldn’t have crossed my mind. But that’s the good thing about it, doing something unexpected – especially if it works.”

Of course, when it comes to winemaking,dipping a toe feels more like wading in waist deep when vats, tanks and other nefarious-looking apparatuses begin arriving at your suburban home. Jenny had offered up the bedroom – their three adult sons long moved out – to mitigate the financial risk of leasing a space, and it was quickly filled to the brim with tanks of fermenting grapes, which Doug would manoeuvre around on furniture trolleys in a perpetual game of Tetris.

Six years later, his established label is stocked across five major cities. He has 11 unique grape varieties at his new space in the Barossa Valley, where he recently moved his equipment and spent four months making wine alongside three other reputable winemakers. His next vintages are quietly ageing in seven oak barrels.

Jenny and Doug Woodward. Picture: David Kelly

“The number of barrels seems to grow without me knowing,” Jenny smiles coyly. It was three by her last count.

We are chatting by the fireplace in their Enoggera home while enjoying a splash of a new Montepulciano, a chilled red variety Doug made in the Barossa. These 2023 vintages recently earned him a gold, two silvers and a bronze at the RASQ Australian Mediterranean Varieties Wine Show in Toowoomba.

“I’m so proud of him because it’s been remarkable what he’s achieved,” Jenny beams.

“Also, to do something new at his age; not many people tackle something new in their 60s. I’m sure it will inspire people.”

Jenny is Australia’s longest-serving weather presenter, starting her job at the ABC in 1986, while Doug tried his hand at varied careers.

He grew up on a farm in Pullenvale, west of Brisbane, with six siblings. He worked with the Queensland Police as a fingerprint photographer before studying literature and drama in Toowoomba, where he met Jenny in a production of As You Like It in 1976. He worked the family farm for several years, worked in toy manufacturing and real estate, and managed a cinema. It is part of his personality to dive in.

ABC TV weather presenter Jenny Woodward. Picture: Richard Walker

His constant has always been Jenny, who in some circles is known simply as “the weather”. Naturally, the nickname inspired the label, Wedded to the Weather, which has a dual meaning in Doug’s enduring marriage and his nomadic winemaking style, not being wedded to any region or varietal, but guided by the grapes.

The winemaking seed was first planted in the late 1990s, when a close friend inspired Doug to learn more and he took up a side job at The Gap Tavern. He instantly loved it and hatched a plan.

“I thought when I was ready to semi-retire I’d get a job in a nice wine shop and work a few days a week and that’d be the way I’d see myself out.”

It happened earlier than expected. He got a job at Craft Wine Store in Red Hill, (which also has outlets at Indooroopilly and Coorparoo) when he was 60 and began part time. He still works at the stores now – learning from experienced owner and artisan, Tony Harper.

They liaise directly with wineries and so winemakers would regularly show their stock in store. After a few years, his plan went up a notch.

“I was watching all these young blokes and thinking, well, I could do that. We had no idea if I could make wine or not,” he recalls.

“I was about 63 and thinking, I’ll be a really bad retiree because I don’t have any hobbies, particularly. I thought getting into making wine could be a good thing, another new interest.”

He confided in award-winning Queensland winemaker Mike Hayes, who encouraged Doug and generously showed him the ropes.

Doug Woodward. Picture: David Kelly

“I’ve always kept by this – we had that conversation and he said, ‘the principal function of a winemaker is to not stuff up the grapes’,” Doug says.

“So that’s how it’s happened.”

Jenny, who knew little about wine, felt reassured that Doug had the help of two renowned mentors in Hayes and Harper.

“I thought it was a great idea,” she says. “I think he’s spent a lot of time in his life searching for something he’s – and I hate that word ‘passionate’ about – but something that really took his interest.”

Taking heed of Hayes’ advice, Doug was guided by the grapes, a portion of which would inevitably spoil in the heat during the journey to Enoggera. He made wine in a natural manner, leaning towards less common methods such as pet-nat and, by chance, orange wine.

“I was told it’s easier to make red wine because the skins help protect the juice, so you have less troubles, and I thought … I’ll play it safe and leave it on the skins to provide protection, but then I liked what I got,” he says.

“The hardest part is getting grapes, because if you don’t have good grapes, it doesn’t matter what you do, you won’t get good wine. But there are more and more growers in Queensland who are producing good grapes.”

Neighbours had predictably curious responses when they heard about Doug’s “home brew”. But after sampling a bottle they’d return with a “holy crap”. They were chipping in, lending a hand “bucketing” inside the six tonnes of grapes that would arrive each year. The Enoggera wine region was in full flex.

Doug had decided early on that hisbenchmark was making a wine that Harper would stock at Craft; if it wasn’t good enough to be in that shop, he wouldn’t release it.

At this, Jenny springs into action, hunting through her phone for the video she filmed in 2018. Harper stands behind the counter, glass of Enoggera pet-nat in hand. He swirls, sniffs, and sips – “that is tremendous” he says, before an eruption of cheers and laughter. The label has been in the stores since.

Known for unique varietals, Doug produced spin-off label The Cloud Project by 2020 and received a rave review from renowned Sydney wine writer and judge Mike Bennie, which spurred interest from stores around the country. Boxes were quickly flying out the door.

It’s been an unexpected joy that Doug’s winemaking brought old friendships closer, neighbours together and became something they could share as a family.

Jenny and Doug Woodward at home with son Alex. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Their three sons – Sam, 39, Alex, 35, and Michael, 31 – have good palates and regularly offer tasting notes.

Doug names wines after suitably delighted friends. Jenny laments no wines yet bear her name, though Doug always reminds her “you’ve got the label”.

“Everyone thinks making wine is wildly romantic, but really making wine is 2 per cent romance. It’s like most farming: it’s work, it’s physical labour and an enormous amount of cleaning,” Doug laughs.

“But there is that magic moment when you open the bottle or you open the tank and think I’ll have a taste of this, and think, oh wow,” Jenny adds, in his defence.

In 2022, Doug needed more space and asked a friend if he knew of any available sheds. By November, Doug and Jenny were off for a weekend in the Barossa Valley. It was a perfect fit; within days Doug had a shed, and a room to stay in at the The Dairyman Barossa.

He lived there for four months earlier this year and was fully immersed in making wine. He meticulously tended to his ferments and soaked up tips from the experienced winemakers around him.

“It was amazing, just amazing. Even though I was getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark, down there all I had to do was make wine,” Doug says.

He has formed a strong relationship with a couple, fifth-generation grape growers, who specialise in unique varieties. Every time they harvest something new, Doug gets it.

“You’ve got to be prepared to take a risk, and to fail and think, well that’s life, and I produced some horrible wine,” Doug grins, “but unbelievably good fun. A highlight of my, so far, later life.”

Doug pours every bottle and attaches every label by hand.

Admittedly winemaking hasn’t made him a better retiree – but he couldn’t be happier. In fact, he might need more barrels.

Originally published as ‘Remarkable what he’s achieved’: Jenny Woodward on husband’s surprising new career