By KATRINA BRANDON

NESTLED between Tyers and Glengarry, the Narkoojee Winery is celebrating 45 years.

Feeling proud, Narkoojee’s owners, Harry and Val Friend, told the Express that while they initially didn’t see themselves at this point, they are happy to see the business flourish.

Tracking back to Narkoojee’s beginning, Harry’s parents, Edna and Athelstan Friend, had named the farm after extensive research, and came up with a name that meant ‘a place of flowers’. The farm started as a dairy farm until later on, when Harry became more involved.

Harry’s beginnings started in New South Wales, and his family later moved north of Traralgon and purchased the property.

Unlike Harry, Val was born and raised in Traralgon and even attended Grey Street Primary School.

Growing up, neither of them considered the prospect of establishing a flourishing winery, but they looked into the education world for their occupational desires. Landing in Footscray, Val ended up teaching and later married Harry.

At that time, Harry’s parents still owned the farm, and the happy couple visited on weekends.

“For a long time we lived in Melbourne. We (later) planted a little vineyard over there in the paddock, and decided, ‘Oh, this is pretty good’. And that’s when we retired (from teaching),” Val said.

Bit by bit, Harry and Val started to plant more varieties of grapes, growing their vineyard in 1980.

Early on, they entered the Rutherglen Wine Show and were delighted as they took out the amateur section, which helped spark their next course of action into business. As Harry’s parents were starting to need more assistance, Harry and Val moved up to the farm.

Following in the business, Val and Harry’s son Axel started at Narkoojee. In an interview with Wineries of Victoria, Axel shared his entry into the business and his passion for the vines.

“As a child visiting the farm, I developed a strong desire to become a dairy farmer,” Axel said.

“This motivated me to begin a degree in agricultural science after graduating from high school. However, by this time, my parents had started planting grapevines on the property. I soon found myself helping them with the vineyard and making the early wines.”

Val and Harry told the Express that the best part of the business over the years, and still is, is meeting everyone who comes through the doors, and the conversations to be had over a glass of wine.