A perfect blend: A winemaker’s Christmas tree farm

Windermere winemaker Michael Unwin made room for his Christmas tree farm, with his property also home to thousands of silver banksias and a variety of wildlife.

Christmas trees and vineyards are the perfect blend for Windermere winemaker Michael Unwin.

He bought the property about 12 years ago, and immediately planted pine windbreaks and Christmas trees.

Winemaker Michael Unwin blends the vineyard with a Christmas tree farm. Picture: Rachel Simmonds

His property is now home to Cardigan Christmas Tree Farm, Michael Unwin Wines, thousands of silver banksias and a variety of wildlife.

“I put the first Christmas trees in about a decade ago, but I didn’t harvest any except for friends and family for a few years,” he said.

“I joke that they’re the third-nicest crop in the world to grow, and people are never brave enough to ask what I mean.”

Michael listed the trees third to grapes and tomatoes. He collects them at the end of summer and lays them in his wetlands to encourage birdlife at the 40ha property.

“A bird will sit and land on it for ages, and everything changes from then on, as soon as you put some height in there,” he said.

“As they do it they cross pollinate, and bring all the stuff with them from wetland to wetland, and you get different things growing here.”

Winemaker Michael Unwin’s dog Arlo, at the Christmas tree farm. Picture: Rachel Simmonds

Michael originally hailed from New Zealand and studied horticulture, working as a champagne maker in France before he established the winery at Ararat, then Beaufort, and eventually Windermere. He likened the region to the most northern part of New Zealand’s South Island due to its altitude.

The off-the-grid winery has earth flooring and solar panels, while all grape growing, vinifying, bottling, packaging, warehousing and distribution was done in-house.

Winemaker Michael Unwin, and his dog Arlo, at Cardigan Christmas Tree Farm. Picture: Rachel Simmonds

Meanwhile, the Christmas trees work around the vineyard, which Michael said brought “great joy” to the property.

“They fit in really well, as we plant vines around, what do you do with little bits of land? I’m not very efficient at using stock so you put the trees in and leave them to it,” he said.

“When you get around to it, you prune them, and if you give them a bit of extra time and no love, they come to a nice shape.”