Best New Winery of the Year
PLACE OF CHANGING WINDS | MACEDON RANGES | VICTORIA
VICTORIA’S Place of Changing Winds has won the Best New
Winery award, but, in many ways, it’s been in the works for 30 years. At least, that’s how long its founder Robert Walters has worked in wine and learned from some of the best along the way.
It all started for Robert, an importer and distributor, in an early wine retail job. “I quickly realised I was fascinated by wine and somehow managed to make my way across to Paris,” he says. There, he worked at the iconic Willie’s Wine Bar, and was soon writing for wine publications, which involved frequent visits to French regions. “That was a wonderful experience. I was smitten and determined to make my life in wine,” Robert says.
And so he has, with his wholesale business Bibendum Wine Co. allowing him to work closely with incredible producers across Australia, New Zealand and Europe. “When I look back now, the common thread is my fascination with where great wine comes from, and what kind of places and practices lead to this quality,” he says. “In that context, Place of Changing Winds is me coming full circle because after decades trying to understand the kind of culture that leads to great wine, and closely observing and working with growers who practice it successfully, I can now apply that culture myself.”
Despite Robert’s depth of knowledge, it’s been another world since planting his high-density chardonnay and pinot noir vines in Macedon in 2012. “2019 was our first commercial release and the first time we made wine that we felt reflected what we wanted to do,” he says. “But then in 2020, we had a horrendous frost and lost 90 per cent of our crop. Nature reminded us who was in charge, and we felt like we were starting again. We’re getting over it now, but the feeling it gave me was like the first time you have your heart broken. It was torture.” While the 2021 harvest was promising, the loss of 2020 means they won’t have any estate wines for some time. They do, however, have shiraz and marsanne, which are part of their Grower Series. They come from two sites in Victoria’s Heathcote and Harcourt, where the team works very closely with those vineyard owners.
Together with manager Rémi Jacquemain, Robert says they are still just getting started, but buoyed by what’s happening in the vines. “What we’re seeing from our organic, high-density practice are low yields per vine, and very small bunches and berries, and that’s resulting in a certain intensity and balance, which is exciting.”