Out of the ashes came an idea to help not-for-profit organisations, many of which had helped him.

The new Daylesford resident said the concept of Goodwill Wine was about branding a quality product to raise money for charities.

"Black Saturday set me on a different course," Mr Laity said.

"I thought what can I do that has more merit than making beer companies richer, and came up with a way to help charities."

He left the ruins of his home in Chum Creek and spent the next couple of years living in a cool room in Coldstream, developing his idea and contacting charities and winemakers throughout the country.

He was given $15,000 by the Red Cross following the fires and, rather than replace what was lost, he invested that money into Goodwill Wine with the intention of "paying it forward".

Since then he has raised nearly $42,000, out of which $10,000 went to the CFA.

"I have been helped so much, which is what's driving me here," Mr Laity said. "It was about finding a way to create a sustainable social enterprise."

In his Daylesford warehouse, everything was about the business: boxes of wine, a small pool table which he uses to hand label the bottles of wine, a computer and top-of-the-range printer for printing out labels.

However, sitting next to his computer is a small ceramic elephant, by his own admission his most treasured possession.

"It survived the fires and I've had it since I was six-years-old," he said.

"I'm not really materially minded, that hasn't changed."

He said it cost nothing for charities to be involved with Goodwill Wine.

"There is no effort on their behalf," he said. "The charity does nothing, it's so simple."

Not every wine will be accepted by Goodwill Wine. Mr Laity said of 600 samples sent to him by vineyards from across Australia, only 15 have been accepted so far.