Shy Susan Wines
TASMANIA
YOU COULD argue this Best New Winery has been 30 years in the making, as that’s how long winemaker Glenn James has worked in the wine industry. That said, with the bulk of his experience in some of the country’s largest and most successful wine businesses, this tiny Tasmanian label is the antithesis to everything he’s done before. Senior positions with Hardys, Treasury Wine Estates and Tasmanian Vintners (formerly Winemaking Tasmania) have enabled Glenn to work with diverse regions and wineries around Australia. And through his time spent sourcing Tasmanian fruit for famous labels like Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay and the Heemskerk range, as well as setting up brands such as Bay of Fires and in his current role with Tasmanian Vintners, Glenn has become an expert on the island state. “I suppose Shy Susan is the result of walking through countless rows of grapes,” he says. Glenn has jumped the ditch a couple of times in his career. The first was in
1988 when, after falling in love with New Zealand pinot noir, he made the move from horticultural studies in Christchurch to winemaking in South Australia. “For the past four years with Winemaking Tasmania, pinot noir has been my focus. It’s only taken three decades to make a pinot of my own with Shy Susan, and I’m so proud of the result.”
Also in the Shy Susan range is a chardonnay that took home the regional trophy in the Halliday Chardonnay Challenge, a riesling that’s won multiple awards, and a shiraz that collected gold in the Global Syrah Masters. “We’ve had some quiet wins,” Glenn says. Still to come is a blanc de blancs traditional method sparkling that’s currently ageing on lees. “We put the first one down three years ago, so it will be another three years until it sees the light of day,” he says. Glenn says two key things keep him excited about his work after such a long winemaking career. “The first is the growth of the Tasmanian wine industry, and the quality of fruit this state produces,” he says. “The second is marrying [fellow winemaker] Jo Marsh and being excited by her love of alternative varieties. Jo and I help each other with our work – Billy Button is her brand, and Shy Susan is mine, but we bounce off each other, and it’s all part of the one thing.” That sharing includes exposure for Shy Susan through Billy Button’s website and its cellar door in north-east Victoria, as well as brand names inspired by the native flora and fauna of their respective regions.
“I get a lot of nudging from Jo,” Glenn says. “We have friendly arguments about the wines, and that’s part of the joy of it – there’s no winemaking committee, it’s just her and me.”