Born in the UK my first career was as a jewellery valuer to the auction houses, a journey which took me from London's Bond Street to the glamorous jewellery flagship of Sotheby's in Switzerland. During the 90s I had the privilege to be part of a team that set many world auction records, including the highest price for a jewel of any kind. I travelled to fascinating places in all the continents, including the state capitals of Australia.
For me jewellery wasn't a passion so I swallowed hard and came to Australia in 2002 to pursue winemaking, a lifelong interest. Initially on a student visa I studied Wine Science fanatically at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and graduated as top academic student in 2005. During that time and since I've tried to work for the people whose wines I love the most. This includes stints in Australia with Cullens, Giaconda, Henschke, Shaw and Smith, Coldstream Hills, Veritas and in France with Domaine Leflaive, Meo-Camuzet, Vieux Telegraphe and Trevallon.
During my time at Veritas I met the vignerons that now grow my Piccadilly Chardonnay, Eden Valley Syrah and Barossa Valley Shiraz. I settled in the Barossa Valley and worked as winemaker for Rocland Estates where I was also able to make my own wines. While there I had the tremendous benefit of exposure to other winemakers' attitudes and ideas, and to the distinctly different challenges of commercial and ultra-premium winemaking.
I came to winemaking at a time when the international reputation of Australian wine was losing its shine due to cheap exports. In the last two decades these have dominated supermarket shelves in the UK and US, so making Australia synonymous with cheap, sun-drenched, good-value wines. In reaction there's been a shift in focus, led by emerging producers, to wines that are more subtle, complex and less compromised by commercial pragmatism, and with that shift comes winemaking recognition that the most sublime wines the world over are born in the vineyard and are not moulded and blended out of all recognition by the manipulations of the winemaker.
The ideas and catch phrases that resonate through winemaking discussions and media today are non-interventionism, regional character, single vineyard wines, sustainability, biodynamic viticulture, terroir...
I hope you enjoy these wines, and that they tell a story about their origins.
For wine nerds like me!