2014 - BROOME'S WINE MAKERS

“In our first year of producing the mango wine we were always getting invitations to enter into competitions, so we sent our wine over to Queensland and won a silver and bronze medal. That was pretty special - it was a nice pat on the back to say that we had done something right.” says Julie.

We process the mangoes in October November and by that time the weather is quite unbearable. Being a small wine producer and because of limited space we can only freeze a couple of barrels of mango pulp at a time. This is required to break down the pulp so it will separate. The mangos are washed and handled one by one to go into the pulper that separates the skin, the seed and the juice. It is a very old machine, purpose built so we are lucky to have it. Mangoes are the most difficult fruit to make wine out of, it is potluck that it separates, so that you get the clear fluid at the top. We had to buy a centrifugal machine to complete the separation process. You lose over a third of the mass to pulp and you get about 60% fluid. The process takes about 4 months. The part that is most rewarding is when you end up with a beautiful gold clear liquid. Each year we produce approximately 2,000 litres.

We have spent a lot of time sourcing the small bottles we need and finding the right cartons has been an adventure. Once corks became unpopular, we had to try and find the right screw caps to fit the bottles without spending thousands on a special bottle top machine. Our becoming winemakers has challenged us in many ways, though the thrill of winning a medal at the Royal Show or someone coming in especially to buy our wines because they are so unique keeps us making the next vintage!

You can visit the Mango Place when you are in Broome. Drive out to 12 miles (18 kms out of town) They are open daily (though closed on Saturdays between January to March). Visit www.mangowine.com.au