Yugen
The name Yugen comes from a dictionary of untranslatable words, it is a Japanese word that describes a feeling of being in awe of the beauty and power of nature and the universe, that feeling you get when you stand at the top of a mountain range or look at the Milky Way on a clear night. This name resonated with Yugen and is a big part of how they approach vineyards, grape growing and winemaking; conscience of the beauty of nature and that we are always at the mercy of mother nature each vintage.
Yugen’s first vintage was in 2018 founded by Tim Scanlon and Brodie Comer. From 2019 all fruit is sourced from Galli Estate (Sunbury) and Bittern Estate (Mornington Peninsula). The future plans for Yugen viticulture are to lease a vineyard and return to organic viticulture (their first vintage was from a certified organic site) in the meantime they are sourcing fruit from vineyards that farm as sustainably as possible and are working on continuing to build longstanding and mutually beneficial relationships with growers. In 2019 Ben Buckingham and Rosemary Buckingham joined Yugen and the wines and business are run between the four partners.
Ben works in the cellar at Yarra Yering, Rosemary is an artist, Tim works in the vineyard at Yarra Yering and makes another label with his brother ‘Dirty Black Denim Wines’ and Brodie comes from a background working as a sommelier in restaurants in Melbourne and most recently in wine distribution.