Award-winning winemakers
Virginia Willcock, Chief winemaker at Vasse Felix
With 27 vintages in Margaret River and many in Albania, Italy and New Zealand under her
belt, it’s no wonder Virginia Willcock is one of the most awarded female winemakers in
Australia. Now the Chief Winemaker behind some of Australia’s most critically acclaimed
wines at Margaret River’s founding wine estate, she has driven the revolutionary development
in winemaking style at Vasse Felix. Virginia has served as inspiration for many other producers
around Australia – in particular her work with wild-yeast fermentation in Chardonnay and
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Virginia’s winemaking philosophy is “Make the wines you love to drink. As winemakers, we
scour the world to find those rare and precious wines we will most love. So, at Vasse Felix,
with our pristine environment and historic vineyards, we must strive to make just that. To
perfect a distinctive style that is unique and special, that people all over the world will
recognise.”
Duncan Lloyd, Senior Winemaker at Coriole
50 years after Hugh and Molly Lloyd released the very first Coriole drop- Nowadays
Duncan Lloyd and his family continue to produce stellar McLaren Vale wines using the
same vines. From experiencing vintage in Chateauneuf-du-pape to becoming the Senior
Winemaker at Coriole, Duncan has a reputation for both the traditional and the innovative
as he works with great vines that are more than half a decade old.
“Red wines are mainly open fermented in stainless steel or old wax-lined concrete tanks.
Ferments are hand plunged. A portion of new oak is used for many of our estate reds but
many wines such as Sangiovese and Redstone Shiraz are specifically matured in older
oak to gain maturity with minimum contribution of oak flavour and extract in the wine.”
Darryl Catlin, Winemaker at Sidewood
When he was a kid, Darryl Catlin earned his first pocket money pruning vines in the
Barossa Valley, where his family made wine as a sideline. So it’s not too surprising that
he’s now a winemaker in his own right, with a string of awards to his name, including Best
Red Wine in Australia, which he won with Sidewood in 2014. Apart from a couple of years
studying pharmacy, Darryl has always worked with wine. After completing his Bachelor of
Wine Science in 2004, he started as a cellar hand at Shaw & Smith in the Adelaide Hills,
where he grew to be Chief Winemaker.
Now, as winemaker and winery manager at Sidewood, he says the best part about his job
is overseeing his wines from the grape to the glass, closely followed by being able to take
his dog Harvey to work with him. “And then there’s that proud moment when you get
something into the bottle and then see others appreciate it. That is a fantastic thing as
well,” he adds.
Families of wine
Jim and Peter of Jim Barry
Jim Barry, and his son, Peter, often talked about one day owning a Coonawarra vineyard
but the opportunities to purchase land were limited. One day, on a trip to the area, Peter
spotted a retired cricket oval surrounded by paddocks. Peter contacted the owner and
before long he was the proud owner.
Jim loved cricket and out of respect for the history of the cricket ground, John Knox Oval,
father and son decided to plant a vineyard around the pitch and to restore the original cricket
pavilion.
Jim installed a miniature statue of the great Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman in
full flight and declared to his son, “That this would make a good name for a wine”, and thus
The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon was born, and too the tradition, that a selection of
Jim Barry wines would carry a moniker related to the game.
The Taylor family of Taylor’s Wines
The Taylor clan in South Australia is a family that's passionate about creating excellent
wine. Inspired by beautifully-crafted European wines, Bill Taylor Snr and his sons moved
from Sydney to the Clare Valley in 1969 to prove that Australia had the climatic
peccadilloes to create prime cabernet sauvignon. The rest is history.
Over 40 years, three generations and many awards later, including being ranked World’s
No. 1 Winery by the World Association of Wine Writers and Journalists in 2017, the Taylors
family philosophy remains the same – “We rest on the principle that the finest wines are
those made with the greatest dedication and care. Above all, our imperative is to 'respect
the fruit'.”
Important information:
^Italy Competition: Qantas Airways Limited. Promotion Period: 12.01am (AEDT) 15 March 2023 to 11:59pm (AEST) 16 April 2023. Eligible Entrants: Australian resident Qantas Frequent Flyer members (excluding NT), aged 21 years or older. Entry: Eligible Entrants must purchase any wine, beer, Champagne or spirit product from qantas.com/wine. Multiple entries permitted. Draw: 2.00pm (AEST) on 15 May 2023 at MDSA, Level 16, 1 Denison Street, North Sydney NSW 2060. Prize: A trip to Italy for the winner and three 3 guests valued at a maximum AU$47,000. Winner notification: By phone and email within 2 business days of the draw and their name will be published on wine.qantas.com/win on 22 May 2023 and the Prize winner will be announced in The Australian newspaper on 22 May 2023. View full terms and conditions at https://wine.qantas.com/terms-and- conditions-competitions. License No. T20/1184 Liquor Act 2007 (NSW): It is an offense to sell or supply to or to obtain liquor on behalf of a person under the age of 18 years. Licence Number: NSW LIQP770016736, NT IRL0201, SA 57900154. Authorised under NSW Permit No. NTP/06071, ACT TP23/00314, SA Licence No. T23/226. Qantas Frequent Flyer Operations Pty Limited ABN 22 132 484 210 of 10 Bourke Road, Mascot, NSW 2020 (telephone number 02 9578 4184).
**Patron: Offer ends 6 April 2023 11:59pm (AEDT) unless sold out prior. Qantas may withdraw or extend these offers at any time. To view the Qantas Wine T&Cs, please visit here.
Liquor Act 2007 (NSW): It is an offence to sell or supply to or to obtain liquor on behalf of a person under the age of 18 years. Licence Number: NSW LIQP770016736, NT IRL0201, SA 57900154