The Swan Valley Who's Who
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Distinguished and Famous people from The Swan Valley
🍇 Jack Mann
Jack Mann learned winemaking from his father at Houghton, worked his first vintage in 1922 and took charge in 1930. His Houghton white burgundy helped establish the Swan Valley's reputation for distinctive dry white wine. Experiment was part of the craft: he once used a butcher's mincing machine to break grape skins and extract more flavour. Cricket was another enthusiasm, and his trips to the WACA included a picnic basket with Swan Valley wine. A Middle Swan cricket ground bears his name. His career joined practical ingenuity, hospitality and an unusually long working relationship with one local vineyard.
🥂 Dorham Mann
Dorham Mann grew up on the Houghton vineyard, where his father Jack and grandfather George had made wine. Agricultural science and oenology studies led to work helping small Swan Valley producers improve their methods, followed by a long period at Sandalford. At his home vineyard in Baskerville, sparkling wine initially made for family and friends developed into a commercial venture. His daughter Anthea became part of the small winery's work. Their wines included one made from cygne blanc, an unusual white grape variety discovered by Dorham's wife Sally in 1989, adding another family chapter to the valley's wine history.
