People
Igna Wines is the creation of Craig & Fiona Dunstan.
Craig’s interest in wine commenced in his late teenage years when he began working in the hospitality industry and reading iconic books such as the 1978 Complete Book of Australian Wine by Len Evans and the 1985 edition of The Great Australian Wine Book compiled by Robert Mayne.
In the hospitality industry, he worked in a range of roles including barman, waiter, cook, restaurant manager, and consultant to a number of restaurants on everything from décor to wine lists. He later went on to publish a Sydney restaurant guide. Fiona also worked in the hospitality industry for a number of years.
Whilst their respective corporate careers took them away from hospitality, their interest in wine remained.
Over the years, they have travelled the world visiting wineries in places ranging from Japan to Argentina and from Malta to Albania.
This practical experience has been supplemented by both of them studying winemaking at Plumpton College in Sussex , England and achieving a merit grade in their Level 3 studies with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).
This has given them an extensive understanding of wine styles, viticulture, winemaking practices, and the marketing of wine across a wide range of countries.
They have utilised this knowledge in the creation of the Igna Chardonnay and Igna Pinot Noir.
Whilst the name Igna is derived from their names, it also has a meaning in Italian, where it is derived from the word “vigna” or “vine” (Latin: vinea), applied as a nickname for someone who owned or worked in a vineyard.
The 2025 vintage is from the Jean Block, so named to celebrate five generations of eldest daughters who all had Jean in their name, commencing with the matriarch, Jeannie Silcock.
These five women — Jeannie Silcock, Monica Jean Horton, Lynette Jean MacDowell, Fiona Jean Dunstan and Nicole Jean Dean — all possessed or possess strength, independence and resilience, which is the Scandinavian Old Norse definition of Igna.
