Eagle Bay winery raises $17,000 in funds to give back to local frontline workers in gratitude for service

After a close call with the bushfires that burnt through Meelup Forrest, one winery has given back to the frontline workers who saved their business.

Eagle Bay winery and gin distillery Wise Wine donated $17,000 to local fire crews in gratitude for their work over the summer.

Wise Wine general manager Greg Garnish said the work of the crews was a true “miracle”.

“They saved the Wise property,” he said.

“On the Monday night when the fire raced up the hill, if it wasn’t the fire trucks and the people on the ground, we probably wouldn’t have a venue anymore.

“We originally wanted to throw a big party for them but we couldn’t do that because of COVID and then we thought we’d donate funds to the local fire brigade instead.”

The funds came from the sales of the company’s Cape to Cape gin, a distillation inspired by the region utilising botanicals from Augusta right up to Cape Naturaliste.

With product made onsite, Mr Garnish said it was lucky the flames didn’t catch it or it could have massively escalated the fires.

“My big concern was the two or three thousand litres of 90 per cent alcohol in our distillery,” he said.

“If the flames got to that it would have been a disaster.”

He said the Wise Wine family had been impressed with the work of the crews and was glad they could do something to give back.