People of Wine: Ten Questions

Paul Hotker : Bleasdale Langhorne Creek

July 10, 2020 ♦

People

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I hope you are getting through these very challenging times. Its been a while since I posted an interview, as its been a bit difficult during these months of isolation. Paul Hotker is someone I have been trying to interview for quite a while. I finally caught up with him…

Alan Varney : Varney Wines

April 9, 2020 ♦

Makers, People

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In a recent review in the Weekend Australian James Halliday wrote, “One aspect I enjoy is unearthing new winemakers and their wineries”. I wasn’t familiar with the label he was referring to, but thought I’ve met Alan Varney somewhere. I then recalled meeting him at an International Grenache Day event…

Adrian Read : Wine Communicator

February 27, 2020 ♦

People, Wine trade

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Adrian Read is one of the unsung protagonists of the Australian wine industry. With a background in journalism he was instrumental in professionalising and creating new standards in wine-related public relations. He is best remembered for his PR agency Read McCarthy and work with Penfolds during the mid-1980s to the…

Fongyee Walker MW : Dragon Phoenix, Beijing

January 15, 2020 ♦

People, Wine trade

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Fongyee Walker works as a wine consultant and a WSET Certified Wine Educator in both the English and Mandarin language, based in Beijing. She started her study of fine wine whilst reading a PhD in Classical Chinese at Cambridge. Fongyee and her husband Edward Ragg run Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting,…

Louisa Rose : Yalumba’s Chief Winemaker

October 10, 2019 ♦

Makers, People

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When introducing Louisa Rose at the recent Royal Adelaide Wine Show Awards Lunch Greg Follett Chair RA&HS Wine Committee and Winemaker at Lake Breeze Wines said, “Louisa was a pleasure to work along side of ….a real professional” Louisa is a very busy girl, as well as being the Chair of judges…

Dr Peter Dry AM : Scientist and Teacher

August 19, 2019 ♦

Makers, People

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Dr Peter Dry has more than 45 years of experience as a viticultural scientist and teacher. He recently received one of Australia’s highest accolades, being named as Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in this year’s Queen’s birthday honours, for significant service to viticulture, particularly to winegrape research. In…

Adrian Hoffmann : Professional Grape Grower

July 9, 2019 ♦

Makers, People

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A sixth generation Barossa boy Adrian Hoffmann was described in a recent ‘The Barossa’ magazine as, having matured into a super premium Barossa product. Adrian describes himself as a professional Grape Grower. The family ‘Hoffmann Property’ was established in 1857. When Adrian took hold of the property in 2002, the…

Olivier Krug : The Champagne house of Krug

May 31, 2019 ♦

People

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I enjoyed a ‘Butcher’ of bubbles with Olivier Krug in the front bar of ‘The Exeter’ hotel recently. As Nick Ryan wrote in the intro of his column in ‘The Australian’, “It is said there is champagne and then there is Krug. The house founded by Joseph Krug in 1843…

Jane Thomson : Australian Women In Wine Awards

May 4, 2019 ♦

People

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The recent ‘Barossa Wine Auction’ was hosted by the founder and chair of the ‘Australian Women In Wine Awards‘ Jane Thomson, and auctioned by Langton’s Head of Auctions, Tamara Grischy with Baron of Barossa, Andrew Caillard MW. The day was a great success, cumulative total sales from the live auction…

Tim Dolan : Peter Lehmann Wines

March 28, 2019 ♦

Makers, People

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The ‘Len Evans Tutorial’ is mentioned quite often in these interviews. Dux of the most recent, the 18th tutorial was Tim Dolan. Tim is senior wine maker at Peter Lehmann Wines, and the third generation of his family to make wine in the Barossa, following his father Nigel and grandfather…

Richard Smart : ‘The flying vine-doctor’

February 28, 2019 ♦

Growers, People

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I first heard of Dr Richard Smart one day in New Zealand’s Awatere Valley, in the mid 1990’s. He was then the New Zealand Government viticultural scientist and had been for many years, since 1981. Wikipedia refers to him as a leading global consultant on viticulture methods, who is often…

Philip White : Wine Writer

January 25, 2019 ♦

People, Wine trade

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Philip White : Wine writer. Stephen Pannell, our last interviewee, reckons “If you ask most winemakers who is the best wine writer in Australia, the answer is Philip White ” Philip was diagnosed with cancer late last year. He’s had major surgery, is currently having more radiotherapy and about to…

Stephen Pannell : S.C. Pannell McLaren Vale

December 11, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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A few years ago most Tuesday nights were ‘Movie night’ at the local Palace Nova for myself and a couple of mates. After the movie we’d go to the Amalfi Pizzeria Ristorante, for me the best Pizza in town. One night Nick who often looked after us suggested a wine…

Dheeraj Bhatia : Head Sommelier Est Sydney

November 3, 2018 ♦

People, Wine trade

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I first met Bhatia at our friends Kaaren and Kevin Palmer’s home in late 2016. Kaaren had recently published her award winning book ‘Champagne a Tasting Journey‘. Bhatia was then the head Sommelier at the Penfolds Magill Estate restaurant and was doing some research into Growers Champagne. He went on to…

Sarah Crowe : Yarra Yering

October 4, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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Yarra Yering was established in the Yarra Valley by Dr Bailey Carrodus a botanist in 1969. The vineyard is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the Yarra Valley vineyards. Sarah Crowe has made wine from these vineyards since 2013. In 2017 Sarah was awarded the Wine Companion ‘Winemaker…

Tamara Grischy : Langton’s Head of Auctions

September 6, 2018 ♦

People, Wine trade

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Langton has recently launched it’s seventh Classification of Australian Wine. The classification has been around for 30 years, and Langton’s Head of Auctions, Tamara Grischy, has been involved with it for the last 20. Tamara lives in the Macedon Ranges, a cool to cold wine region about an hours drive north from Melbourne.…

Bryan Martin : Ravensworth, Canberra

August 1, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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Max Allen once emailed me and suggested if I was in Canberra, I should talk with Bryan Martin, Clonakilla’s Winery Manager, saying Bryan’s a very interesting guy – softly spoken, but quirky polymath, a chef, writer, winemaker, forager and a farmer. The first Riesling he made under his own small…

Chris Ringland : Flying Winemaker

June 28, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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I’d have to agree with Nick Ryan when he described the masterclass featuring two of Australia’s most reclusive but collectable winemakers, Chris Ringland and Drew Noon, as evidence of the bespoke nature of Tasting Australia’s wine master classes. I met up with Drew not long after this event, and I…

Ken Helm AM : Helm Wines, Canberra

June 1, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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In a previous interview, Kerri Thomson suggested if I ever got to Canberra I should talk to Ken Helm. I really enjoy KT’s riesling so I thought, if she recommends Ken, why not. I was there recently and caught up with him. Ken is of German descent, his great-great grandparents…

Drew Noon MW : Noon Winery

May 1, 2018 ♦

Makers, People, Shimmer

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Nick Ryan described the masterclass featuring two of Australia’s most reclusive but collectable winemakers, Chris Ringland and Drew Noon, as evidence of the bespoke nature of Tasting Australia’s wine master classes. I attended a few of the ‘East End Cellars’ master classes, enjoyed them all but for me the Ringland…

Phillip Broderick : Basket Range Wine.

April 4, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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Just after I posted the interview with Xavier Bizot, Phil Broderick rang me and commented how much he enjoyed Xavier’s interview. One of the things I love about wine is getting to know the diverse people that are involved in the wine trade. Xavier is from a well established wine…

Xavier Bizot : Terre à Terre

March 15, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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Xavier Bizot once said in an interview that the finest wine he had ever tasted was an Australian wine, a bottle of Penfolds 1962 Bin 60A. This interested me as many of my favourite Australian wines are cabernet shiraz blends. Xavier is part of the extended Bollinger family and I’m…

Rick Burge : Burge Family Winemakers

February 22, 2018 ♦

Makers, People

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If you read the local wine press you’d be aware that leading Barossa winemaker, Rick Burge, is putting his business, Burge Family Winemakers, on the market. Rick was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. He got the all clear a year or so ago. Unfortunately the cancer has returned. He says…

Gill Gordon-Smith : Wine Communicator of the Year

January 23, 2018 ♦

Makers, People, Shimmer

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One of our favourite things to do on a Friday night is to call into the ‘fall from grace’ wine shop, run by Gill Gordon-Smith in Aldinga. Gill is one of the most interesting people I have come across in the wine trade, she’s an educator, a wine maker and…

Peter Dredge : Dr Edge Tasmania

December 13, 2017 ♦

Makers, People

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The Adelaide Review ‘Hot 100 Wines’ were judged recently at the Regency Park TAFE in Adelaide. These awards are a bit different from others. Judges are not all wine makers, they are wine boffins from diverse fields. Wines are judged on style, and drinkability or what some might say, wines…

William Downie : West Gippsland Pinot Noir

November 24, 2017 ♦

Makers, People

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A few years ago a friend from Melbourne who knew we had an interest in Pinot brought us over a bottle to try. The wine was very good and the label memorable. I’d heard about William Downie, but never tried any of his wines. He was the Gourmet Traveller Young…

Andrew Caillard MW : Fine Wine Consultant, Langtons

November 10, 2017 ♦

People, Wine trade

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I first met Andrew Caillard as a young cellar hand at Petaluma over thirty years ago. A few years later we caught up again at the 1997 Penfolds ‘Rewards of Patience’ tasting in Adelaide. Andrew was one of six independent international panellists. He has gone on to author the last…

Peter Gago : Penfolds Chief Winemaker

October 19, 2017 ♦

Makers, People

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The 2017 Penfolds Collection has just been released. I’ve tried the wines, and thought they were great, but to quote James Halliday, someone who knows a thing or two about these things, they are “Exceptional”. I’d have to agree. One wine that stood out was a wine we could not…

Charlie Seppelt : Adelaide Wine Show panel chair

September 27, 2017 ♦

Makers, People, Shimmer

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The Royal Adelaide Wine Show is one of the oldest wine shows in Australia, the 140th was judged recently. Andrew Hardy is committee chair and from over the ditch Michael Brajkovich the Chair of Judges. They are supported by six panel chairs, twelve judges including International judge Yoshiji Sato plus ten associate judges. In…

Dave Gartelmann : Master Viniculturer

August 16, 2017 ♦

Growers, People, Shimmer

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In his piece on the recent sale of Mclaren Vale vineyard ’Connor’s Farm’ entitled ‘Best geologies getting record prices’, Philip White referred to the vineyard being tended by master viniculturer, David Gartelmann. A week or so later at a Hickinbotham Wines tasting at Edinburgh Cellars, winemaker Chris Carpenter commented on the…