Bushfire recovery & rebuilding with Matt Fowles of Fowles Wine

About this episode

Matt Fowles discusses the impact of a catastrophic bushfire on his winery and the subsequent recovery process.

Matt Fowles of Fowles Wine in Victoria's Strathbogie Ranges describes surviving a catastrophic bushfire that burned through his 1400 acre property in under 45 minutes on January 8th 2026, destroying his family home, 1200 (of 1260) sheep, and severely damaging both vineyards – while the winery and cellar door survived. In the aftermath, he prioritised family stability and practical problem-solving before turning to longer term decisions about replanting and farm redesign. The experience has reshaped his thinking on fire resilience, variety selection, regional diversification, and the value of community and industry support networks. The Halliday Wine Companion Podcast is hosted by Halliday editor Anna Webster.   Fowles Wine Fowles Wine on Instagram Halliday Wine Companion Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Anna Webster on Instagram Buy the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion   We cover: Fire moves faster than preparation allows: Fire hoses running for 20 hours still couldn't stop the fire – it leapt over everything. Scale and pace overwhelm even well-prepared defences. Grafted vines fare significantly worse than own-rooted vines in fire: The graft union is a…

People in this episode

Host: Anna Webster

Guest: Matt Fowles

Topics covered

• bushfire recovery
• wine industry
• fire resilience
• community support

Keywords

• Fowles Wine
• Strathbogie Ranges
• vineyards
• family stability

Mentioned in this episode

Products: 2026 Halliday Wine Companion

Places: Victoria, Strathbogie Ranges, the Strathbogie Ranges

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