When did you realise you wanted to become a winemaker?

My interest in wine began early on in my working life, with casual retail employment in wine cellars. My enthusiasm for wine was well received, I was soon running tasting events and advising on wine purchases. In 2015, I took to France in search of a vineyard to work on through their harvest season. I found a small family run vineyard and winery near Bordeaux and fell in love with the festive culture being cultivated. I came back to Victoria ready to dive in, head-first.

Please tell us about your career so far.

I started from the ground up, cold-calling and knocking on doors for casual vintage positions. After a couple of years of night shifts at pre-eminent Yarra Valley wineries and brushing shoulders with legends of the region, I turned professional cellar hand, then winery manager, then winemaker. I am fastidious in industry research and self-motivated education, and thought that paired well with a more informal, passed-down training; something I consider an important aspect to winemaking culture. I am now complementing my winemaking career with a more formal education in grape growing and viticulture

What do you love most about being a winemaker?

I love being a witness at the helm of the unique natural phenomena that occurs during winemaking, and being able to guide and shape the process to create expressive and vibrant offerings. I love the connection to nature’s cycles and being custodian of the journey as time and place unfold in the wines.  

What is your favourite wine, and what food do you typically pair it with?

Pinot noir. I’d pair it with a fungi pasta, some tapas style offerings, or a serve of local cheeses and a view. 

Is there a specific process you follow when developing a new wine?

It’s important for me to understand what character the fruit naturally presents before I can really elaborate on it. For new wines, preservation of fruitful vitality is critical, whilst I lean into my expectations of the site, the soil and the climate. I make sure I pay respect to the heritage of varietals in my winemaking, at the same time taking confident steps towards its unique expression. 

Is there any vintage you’re particularly proud of creating? Why?

I’m enamoured with our most recent creations of vintage 2023 – I think they are our strongest offerings yet. We’ve been working hard on improving vine health over the last few years and I’ve been focusing on refining our site expression in the winery. 2023 seemed to reflect all our efforts and I’m excited for how they will be received. 

How does the local climate/soil affect the wine you make?

The Macedon Ranges is really cold, but don’t let that fool you in to thinking light and soft. Our climate varies wildly throughout the growing and ripening periods, which will keep you right on the edge of your seat, but in return delivers wines of incredible depth. The Granitic sandy soils lend themselves to savoury and mineral driven wines and brilliant natural acidity.