Gil1
1973
5 December 1973
Journalist turns vine-grower
2
1982
Wine Producers New South Wales
Botobolar Winery E G & V M Wahlquist P O Box 212 Mudgee 2850 Telephone (063) 7338403
1985
17 November 1985
Gil Wahlquist, a former Sydney journalist, and his wife, Vincie, dropped out about 15 years ago to grow grapes in Mudgee. They bought an old farm, planted vines, converted and extended a 60-year-old stone woolshed and established Botobolar. The Wahlquists grow their 22 hectares of grapes organically, producing around 8,000 cases of wine a year. The winery is 16 kilometres north-east of Mudgee, "just about on the top of the Great Dividing Range," Gil says. Visitors are welcome to wander around the vineyard and rose garden from 10 am to 5 pm seven days a week4
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2004
2 March 2004
Share their big day
After more than 10 years in the Cooyal district and 17 years in Australia, a couple originally from America who own and run Botobolar Vineyard have decided to officially call Australia home.
Kevin and Trina Karstrom and their children Charlie and Brigit have chosen to take the oath that will naturalise them and declare them official Australian citizens.
The Karstroms have been nurturing Australia's oldest organic vineyard, Botobolar, making wine, rearing children and contributing to the local Mudgee community for 14 years.
The sense of community, the local people and the natural beauty of Mudgee were the combining factors that led to the Karstrom's decision to move to Mudgee.
Kevin and Trina came to Australia in 1987 and discovered Mudgee in 1988 when they bought a property that they visited on weekends.
A redundancy payout in 1990 brought Kevin and family to the area they loved, and the opportunity to own Botobolar in 1994 saw them move to the Cooyal district.
"We have loved raising our children in this environment.
"They have been happy here and it is a wonderful community.
"We have great neighbours and friends, one could ask for a better place to raise a family," Ms Karstrom said.
The Karstrom's naturalisation ceremony will be a celebration of the local community and its talents when it is conducted on Sunday March 7 at 2pm at Botobolar Vineyard.
"The mayor, Denis Yeo, offered to conduct the ceremony at the vineyard.
"The Cooyal Bush Fire Brigade will be serving one of their famous barbecues, and the legendary Stringy Bark Bush Band are playing for us on the terrace for an hour or so," Ms Karstrom said.
"To thank the locals for their support while we have been at Botobolar, we're donating $1 per bottle from all wine sold on the day, along with the proceeds from the barbecue to the Cooyal community.
"The Bushfire Brigade, the Cooyal Hall and anyone who would like to join us," Mr Karstrom said.
Mr Karstrom said Mudgee and Gulgong residents would be welcome to join in the event from 1pm at the Vineyard.
Further enquiries can be made by calling Trina or Kevin at the winery 6373 38405 .
2012
Botobolar
89 Botobolar Road, Mudgee, NSW 2850 Region Mudgee
T (02) 6373 3840 F (02) 63733789 www.botobolar.com
Open Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 10-3
Winemaker Kevin Karstrom Est. 1971 Dozens 3000 Vyds 19.4 ha
One of the first (possibly the first) fully organic vineyards in Australia, with present owner Kevin Karstron continuing the practices established by founder Gil Wahlquist. Preservative-free reds and low-preservative dry white extend the organic practice of the vineyard and winery. Dry Red is consistently the best wine to appear under the Botobolar label, with gold medal success at the Mudgee Wine Show. Its preservative-free red wines are in the top echelon of this class. In winter 2010 a solar generator was installed on the hill behind the winery in their first step toward lowering their carbon footprint. Exports to Denmark and Japan6
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2013
15 September 2013
Botobolar Winery toasts 40 vintages
Local winery Botobolar - Australia's first organic vineyard - celebrated their 40th vintage on Saturday as part of the 2013 Mudgee Wine and Food Festival.
Botobolar was founded by the late Gil Wahlquist in 1971 and released its first vintage in 1974.
Current winemaker Kevin Karstrom and wife Trina bought the winery in 1994, which was also the year of their first vintage with Botobolar.
Trina said jokingly that they were diving into the deep end buying the vineyard at harvest time.
But it also means that the 2013 vintage will Botobolar's 20th under the Karstom family.
Trina said it's been a great journey over the last 20 years and that they knew they were buying into something special back in 1994.
When we bought Botobolar there were about 750 wineries in Australia, but this was one of only a handful of organic wineries,' she said.
There'll always be a niche market for preservative free wine.
And for all of the growth of the wine industry, Mudgee is still a hub for organic wines.
Botobolar's 40th Vintage lunch was accompanied by wines not only from the winery's current releases but also from throughout the winery's history.
Credit: SAM POTTS7