 |
|
The Boynton Family
|
 | | Have you ventured into our Cellar Door and noticed the plethora of medals, oars and rowing memorabilia? There is a Boynton’s family history hidden behind the displays. The Boynton’s collection started way back when Kels Grandfather Valjean Boynton and his brother Frank (F.A.H. Boynton) who were members of the winning 8 in the Head of the River of 1906. Kels Great Uncle Dick Boynton rowed in 3 Victorian King Cup Crews winning in 1946 and 1947 and was a member of the 1948 Olympic squad but did not compete.
Today coming from a line of athletically inclined relations, Kel has participated in many regattas in skulls, pairs, fours and eights but the highlight was winning the World Masters sculls and double skulls in Seville, Spain in 1999. Mieke, Kel’s eldest also rowed for Victoria then switched sports to become a member of the 2005 Australian Olympic bobsleigh team. Still with a yearning for rowing we will be sure to see Kel teaching Boston and Zara a thing or two about the art in years to come.
From his first crop Kel has three children Mieke, Carla and Valjean Boynton. This vintage is out in the big wide world putting the Boynton’s name to occupations outside the wine industry. Carla works in the Human Resources field, Mieke is a school teacher and thriving in Wyndham Western Australia and Valjean is a budding entrepreneur who, currently in partnership, founded “Kegs on Legs” a Melbourne based company.
Kel a vitaculturalist and winemaker and Janelle an architect and project manager by trade, met in 2000 on the terraced gardens of what is Boynton’s today. Kel in need of a good architect and Janelle who appreciates a good wine married in 2003, beginning their new vintage.
Now with two children, Boston who is “4 and a half” and Zara 3, Boynton’s Feathertop Winery has moved into a new chapter.
For those of you who visited last summer (2008) you may remember Boston’s fascination with bugs- spiders were a favourite which only came second to grasshoppers. Boston was only too happy to share his newly found pets with our Cellar Door customers. Well now you’ll be please to know his favourite critters are now reptiles… and sharks. You can rest assure we are pretty confident sharks don’t fit in our Cellar Door.
Zara is a budding socialite who always enjoys a chat and between her princess dress and the mud she can also be found not far from Cellar Door.
It would be unfair to give you a snap shot of the Boynton’s Family without mentioning Feathertop the dog (whom was named after the wine not the other way around!). He is a cute black and white Maltese Shitzu. If you have popped into our Cellar Door before you will have been greeted by him running across the roof of the Boynton’s residence located above the Cellar Door. We believe Feathertop is catching up to the “dog on the tucker box” as the most photographed…. “dog on the roof”.
Chook Mahal is home to Kel’s eclectic group of chooks whom roam the vineyard as our natural pest controllers.
Do come visit us as we all love to have a chat and share out dreams as well as our spectacular views of Mount Buffalo and the valley.
Hope to see you soon.
|
|
|
