Summers in our vineyards are often accompanied by the arrival of magnificent Cape Barren Geese. These rare and striking birds, once feared near extinction, are the inspiration for our name.

The Cape Barren goose is a handsome bird that stands about the same size as a domestic goose. Its plumage is pale grey, with black markings near the tips of its wing feathers and tail. It has pink legs and black feet with a striking bright greenish yellow cere on its short black bill.

Cape Barren geese live mostly on small, windswept and generally uninhabited offshore islands, but venture to mainland farming areas in search of food in summer. By the 1950s their numbers were so low that biologists feared they may be close to extinction. Various initiatives have been taken which have increased the goose population to a level no longer considered to be in danger however they remain one of the rarest geese in the world.

The renowned woodcut artist Christopher Wormell was commissioned to create the elegant Cape Barren Goose that appears on our labels.