Having trained in numerous wineries across Australia, France and Italy, Brendan – together with his wife Laura – founded Unico Zelo and Applewood Distillery in 2012. It emerged from their mutual love of the Australian landscape and passion to push forward sustainable practices in the drinks industry.
Earning B Corp certification in 2019 – the first winery and distillery to achieve the status – the couple has challenged the industry on numerous fronts. These include establishing a grape grower’s cooperative paying 400 per cent more than standard grape prices, an incentive-based loan scheme to establish climate appropriate vineyards, and quantifiable measures to ensure their environmental and social impacts are genuinely making a difference.
Carter studied oenology and viticulture and went on to work with iconic Australian wine producers such as S.C. Pannell and Jacob’s Creek, along with Italy’s G.D. Vajra and a raft of smaller producers in the Adelaide Hills. He and Laura founded Unico Zelo and Applewood Distillery in 2012 out of a mutual love of the Australian landscape and a passion to shape sustainable practices in the drinks industry.
