I strongly recommend that if you are considering a career in the wine industry to undertake formal relevant study then get some experience with the right people. Winemaking is wonderful and can provide many fantastic opportunities in some of the most beautiful regions in the world. Education is important and although it is possible to become a winemaker by way of practical experience you will find that you will be asking questions rather than providing answers to others.
In 1981 I started studying at Roseworthy Agricultural College after being in the workforce for 6 years, the previous year was spent studying full time to attain my matriculation, something I should have achieved much earlier.
My first year at Roseworthy was difficult I didn’t understand the process and couldn’t see how mitosis or biometry were connected to winemaking. I decided to defer rather than drop out and if possible get some experience in a winery and perhaps this would help me make the connection. The staff at Roseworthy were really helpful with finding work and in 1982 I went to the Leo Buring winery in Tanunda to work vintage. Leo Burings was part of the Lindemans Wines group and was managed by very experienced and professional personnel. The winery was equipped with modern machines such as centrifuges, refrigeration, pumps, presses, ion-exchange etc. and had an efficient laboratory. Of particular interest to me was the maintenance shop where engineers ensure that all the machines functioned perfectly. At Leo Buring I gained first hand experience of how the different types of wine pumps worked and how the refrigeration cycle operates, I saw stainless steel welding and the insides of high speed centrifuges. In the winery I was given the opportunity to do most of the many operations in the cellar including wine additions, racking, pumping, cooling, ion-exchange, tank cleaning, fortifying, and barrel work. By the end of vintage I was starting to understand how things were done, but most importantly I learnt that cleanliness in the winery was paramount and that the laboratory was an essential tool.
Vintage ended and I decided I wanted more wine experience. I made plans to travel to the USA and seek a vintage job in the Napa Valley. One thing about my plans is that they often get changed, rather than travel directly to the Napa I decided to go via Italy, Sardinia, Spain and Majorca, Canary Islands and the West Indies mostly by yacht. In Italy I saw part of the famous regions of Tuscany and Latium. Sardinia was very interesting and I got to see cork bark harvesting and cork stopper production. On the Island of Majorca I relaxed and visited many of the small wine producers trying my best with the little Spanish vocabulary to find out their methods. The Canary Islands were amazing with vines growing in the strangest places but the wines were fantastic and most memorable especially a 90 year old fortified wine. I missed the Napa vintage by a couple of months and arrived during the pruning season, I spent my time touring the Napa and Sonoma areas discovering as much as I could.
I arrived back home in time to resume studies at Roseworthy, the next 3 years went fast and was very rewarding the wine experience I had gained along the way the previous year was so helpful. In 1985 for the mandatory vintage work experience I worked vintage at Rouge Homme in the Coonawarra, this experience was fantastic not surprising as it was another Lindemans winery and everything was very well organized and so clean. The fruit quality was exceptional and I remember the smell of the Cabernet being so pungent and pervading every space in the winery. The red vinification used both traditional and modern methods including roto-fermenters which I think were some of the first in Australia.
After graduation I was employed at Hungerford Hill Wines in the Hunter Valley, I spent the next 2 years working under the guidance of Ralph Fowler and Chris Cameron. The cumulative experience of these 2 guys was so important to my early career, both have exceptional palates but more importantly they were willing to share their knowledge. Late in 1987 I applied for a winemaking position at Best’s at Great Western and subsequently started there in December. Best’s is an interesting winery to work in, there is a strong reminder of how the wine industry was during the early days and it’s incredibly rich in wonderful old vines. I left Best’s early in 1997 feeling the need to focus on my winemaking future. I planted a small patch on Shiraz whilst winemaking elsewhere, we increased the plantings to 2 Ha in September 1999. Earlier that year we made our first Shiraz wines from fruit that we purchased from local growers, in addition I also produced a small amount of Chardonnay both wines were terrific.
The first couple of years we cared after the baby vines watching them slowly grow and by 2002 we were on track to harvest our first crop. However, on February 2, 2002 a grass fire burnt over our property scorching and charring most of the vines and melting the irrigation which resembled twisted liquorice. This was such a disappointment so early in our business but nothing a lot of hard work couldn’t rectify. Fortunately the vines were on their own roots and not grafted, over the next couple of years the vines gradually grew back and by 2004 we harvested a reasonable crop which was blended other wine we made from purchased fruit resulting in a lovely Shiraz which earned several Gold Awards at wine shows.
In 2006 we had another set back with 3 severe frosts occurring during late September to late October, we harvested about 20 kg. from the entire vineyard! Luckily we still had the fruit from other growers to make a vintage.
Now 20 years on our own little vineyard managed organically from the outset is producing some spectacular fruit. In 2010 we released the first Ton Up Shiraz produced entirely of our own grapes and were fortunate to win a Gold Award and 2 Trophies at the Ballarat Wine Show. Personally I consider this the best achievement in my career, having planted the grapes and tended them through various tough times and finally making a wine of such good quality. Since 2012 Clayfield Shiraz is produced mostly from our own Moyston vineyard.