CONGRATULATIONS!

Winemaker John Hancock (Morton Estate, Trinity Hill, Hancock & Sons) has just tucked his 50th vintage under his belt. This legendary feat includes one harvest in Burgundy, one in the Northern Rhone Valley, seven in Australia and 41 in New Zealand. That’s a lot of wine! “I remember my first harvest well. 1972 at Yalumba in the Barossa Valley. Hard work. I must admit I had a great football season that year, being at peak fitness. Health and safety was a little different in those days, with a large icebox of wine readily available for all breaks during the day. I learnt quite a lot about winery design that year, which came in handy designing three wineries in New Zealand in later years,” says Hancock.