From an unconventional start without a family history or tradition in wine making, Ministry of Clouds founders Bernice Ong and Julian Forwood set out to make excellent wines from vineyards they respect. Armed only with their palates and the experience of tasting some of the great wines of both their regions and the world, their mission was always to work only with varietals they genuinely love.
And so, they purchased The Chase vineyard in 2016, and immediately set about reworking it to the current mix of Picpoul, Cinsault, Carignan, Mencia, Grenache, Tempranillo and Shiraz varietals.
We caught up with Bernice after the annual release of the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion (which saw the Ministry of Clouds ranked amongst the best of the best with 5 red stars):
"We vowed when we started not to build a brand based on third party endorsements – we wanted to be super honest, that was the very thing that got us embarking on our journey and making wines.
We have been in the wine world for a long time; including during a time when many Australian wineries chasing Parker points by making big, ripe oaky wines. Truth be told, these styles didn’t align with where our palates were, having been shaped by our early days being exposed to a lot of wines from around the globe. Hence us having a crack at making wines we feel there is a place for in Australia, and that we want to drink!
Our take has always been to make the best wines we can every season: looking for purity, balance, texture, and detail, which come from working with the best fruit we can (be it our own from The Chase Vineyard or from our growers); multiple ferments for detail and gentle handling of fruit for purity. Also, working only with varietals we love (or that we think there is a future for with the changing climatic conditions we face in the world), rather than those based on trends or being in the family for generations. Perhaps all of this sits comfortably with our two rebel hearts."