Tamburlaine: The Organic Winery Breaking All the Rules
Tamburlaine Organic Wines has built a reputation as a trailblazer in the
Australian wine industry.
Pioneers in organic viticulture, their journey is marked by bold ideas and innovation. This year, their 2023 Reserve Orange Syrah became the first organic wine to win the prestigious NSW Wine of the Year at the NSW Wine Awards—a testament to their unwavering commitment to quality and sustainability.
Mark Davidson, Tamburlaine’s Managing Director and Head of Grape and Wine Production has spent more than half his life shaping the winery’s identity. A Newcastle native, Davidson’s journey from psychology graduate to organic wine pioneer was anything but conventional.
“The Hunter Valley was an important wine destination,” Davidson recalls of his early visits.
Intrigued by the region’s potential, he purchased a vineyard in the late 1980s. Alongside like-minded individuals, he helped
rebrand the area as ‘Hunter Valley Wine Country,’ fostering its growth as a premier wine destination.
Tamburlaine’s transition to organics began as an experiment. “It was trial and error,” Davidson admits. Motivated by a desire to reduce chemical dependency, he explored sustainable alternatives long before they became mainstream and questioned traditional practices.
“We weren’t trying to be trendy; we just wanted to nourish the soil and produce better wine.” Over time, Tamburlaine became a leader in organic viticulture, with a commitment to purity and soil health at its core.
Davidson believes that the industry needs to adapt to the changing needs of consumers. “The greatest and most controversial innovation in the early 2000s was the screw cap. There’s only a tiny minority in Australia that aren’t screw caps today. Europe and old-world wines are still stuck in the traditions. In Australia, we have overcome that and are able to deliver a better product more consistently. It was an enormous revolution.”
Initiating another revolution, Tamburlaine has introduced one of their most striking innovations - the use of flat, rectangular recycled PET bottles for their Lizard Drinking range. These lightweight, eco-friendly bottles, made from 100% recycled Australian PET boast a low carbon footprint, are fully recyclable, and offer practical benefits such as durability and portability.
“These bottles align with modern lifestyles, combining convenience with quality.” The Lizard Drinking brand—available in Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Rosé, Merlot, and Shiraz—is a humorous nod to the Australian idiom ‘flat out like a lizard drinking.’
Tamburlaine has also made significant strides in the burgeoning low and no-alcohol wine market. Collaborating with Adelaide University, they’ve refined their Jack Squat zero-alcohol wines and developed a unique 4.5% alcohol offering called Half Cut. “It’s not a beer or cider, but it fits the same profile,” Davidson notes. “With no added sugar and a focus on balancing flavours, these products cater to health-conscious consumers while maintaining a satisfying palate. There’s an opportunity to expand into a larger market with major retailers selling our Jack Squat range of zero alcohol wine products.”
Tamburlaine’s success is rooted in research and development. From experimenting with vegetable proteins for vegan wines to eliminating sulphur for a purer product, their innovations address diverse consumer preferences. This adaptability is evident in their broad product range, which includes everything from sweet to dry and smooth to bubbly, all the reds, whites and rosés, the everyday wines to the special occasion reserves, all backed up by a multitude of awards proving the quality of the ranges. When asked what his favourites are, Davidson points to two varieties he’d like to see take off.
“I’d like people to rediscover my favourite Gewürztraminer Riesling – crisp, dry, delivers hugely – similar to Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris. And I’d love to see people warm to our Grenache; it’s a young red wine style that is aromatic, soft, subtle, and very approachable.”
Tamburlaine has also ventured into distilling with their Herding Cats gin range. This endeavour, born from a “happy accident,” uses organically certified botanicals. Producing their own neutral spirit, Tamburlaine is one of the few true grape-to-bottle gin producers in Australia, with three distinct gins, all crafted on-site.
“The challenge keeps me young and motivated,” says Davidson, who remains deeply involved in advancing organic practices and exploring new technologies, including reducing the need for heavy machinery on the farm – to have a “lighter touch on the environment”. Tamburlaine’s achievements, a very successful result at the Orange Wine Show and their historic win at the NSW Wine Awards validate their pioneering efforts. “It’s good to see organic wines gaining the credentials they deserve. I was thrilled for the whole team; it’s a great achievement.”
“We want people to appreciate how seriously we’ve dedicated ourselves to making high-quality wine.”
By staying customer-centric and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, Tamburlaine Organic Wines continues to set the standard for the future of winemaking. Visit www.tamburlaine.com.au today!
