When husband and wife team Nicole and Jon Durdin started plotting a career in gin distilling, they were living in the UK and ready to return to the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
They opened Seppeltsfield Road Distillers six years ago – swapping respective professional careers for gin innovation and now run an award-winning cellar door too.
Jon Durdin was working in the Defence Industry abroad, while Nicole was making regular trips back to Australia to play French horn with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
After 18 months of living in the UK, Nicole decided she’d had enough of the long haul commute for work, prompting them both to think about a new career move.
She enrolled into a gin distilling course in London and the rest is a success story that’s still unfolding. It made perfect sense for the couple to return back to the Barossa, where Nicole’s family has a background in distilling and winemaking. It was a full circle moment waiting to happen.
“Nicole is a from a 7th generation Barossa family. They’re entrenched in the wine and the barrel making industry,” explains Jon Durdin.
“Her father was a distiller before he made a career in corporate winemaking, and is now finishing his career in distilling, he’s also been working with us,” he adds.
Known for their award-winning collection of gins, Durdin says the approach to making the best comes down to opting for styles that are “fresh, bright clean and approachable”.
“Nicole gets flavour and I get everything else,” he says.
“My strengths are my vision to innovate, collaboration, and ability to start tasks, and Nicole’s strengths lie in her ability to understand and balance flavours, her attention to detail and finish tasks,” he says.
“We’re cautious about anything we release and we try lots of things and those that we fall in love with make it to our customers,” says Durdin.
This year is all about the Single Vineyard Brandy release – six years in the making, while the Barossa Shiraz Gin Soda is a new product that took them out of then comfort zone and into the canned spirit world. So far it’s proving a huge success.
Jon Durdin talks to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
Bordeaux has definitely captured my heart. Great wine, great food and amazing mix of old and new. I’d love to share my retirement years between there and Barossa.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
All the pintxo in San Sebastian.
FAVOURITE BAR
The Connaught Bar in London – and it’s a Martini every time.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
Shiraz Gin Sour – equal parts sweet and sour.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
Seppeltsfield Raspberry Cordial and soda – it’s a Barossa institution.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Melbourne – The Gin Palace (how could I not love gin). Sydney – The Opera House Bar (great vibe, spectacular views, plus I’m normally there to see Nicole perform in Opera House).
A WINE WITH FRIENDS
Rieslingfreak No.4 Eden Valley Riesling (or anything else from Hughesy).
FAVOURITE WINERY
David Franz, Barossa – best combination of new and old and Dave Lehmann is a legend.
