When did you realise you wanted to become a winemaker?

I realised I wanted to become a winemaker very soon after starting my first job as a cellar hand. I was a science graduate and up to that point in my life, I was unsure of what direction to take. I quickly fell in love with the blend of artistry and craft with science.

Please tell us about your career so far.

I began my career as a cellar hand in the Yarra Valley more than twenty-five years ago after completing a science degree at the University of Tasmania. I returned to study winemaking at Charles Sturt University. My experience includes working in various wine regions across Victoria and a vintage in Germany. I moved to the northeast of Victoria in 2003, and a few years later realised that I found the most satisfaction in small-scale, hands-on wine making. I established Willem Kurt in 2012, purchased land and started planting the vineyard in 2017, and as of 2022 the entire range of wines are estate grown.

What do you love most about being a winemaker?

The immense satisfaction that comes from creating a product that starts with tending a vine from bud burst to harvest and finishing with a glass of wine. A product that has the potential to live and evolve over decades in the bottle and is truly unique.

No two seasons are the same, no two vineyards are the same, and every winemaker has their own methodology that stamps their individual style on the wine.

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

It is hard to pick a favourite, but if I had to it would be chardonnay. It is so versatile and can offer such generosity of flavour while still maintaining focus. My favourite pairing is with grilled chicken and a cream based sauce.

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

Generally, no. I simply let the wine speak for itself. I try to give it the strongest voice I can by growing the highest quality grapes and keeping wine making intervention to an absolute minimum.

Is there a specific vintage you are particularly proud of creating? Why?

I feel the 2021 and 2022 vintages are my proudest as they are the first two vintages from our own vineyard. The 2022 vintage being entirely estate grown fruit. Both these vintages also happened to have excellent growing seasons. But the sense of achievement goes through the roof when you get to enjoy a glass of wine with family and friends that has come from vines that you planted yourself six years earlier.