What I’ve Learned as a Winemaker

It was during a 10-week harvest among the rolling hills of Burgundy, France, that young winemaker Simon Black learned his most significant career lesson.\r\n\r\nHe was working under Domaine de l\u2019Arlot winemaker Jean Pierre de Smet. As well as making wine, the team was responsible for picking the figs, pears, apples and hazelnuts from the kitchen garden.\r\n\r\n\u201cHe showed me how important it was to care for and use the resources at our disposal,\u201d says Black, now head winemaker for Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove. \u201cOne day Jean and I were collecting figs together when I threw one away because it had a bird peck in it. He picked it up, cut out the bird peck and put it back in my hand.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe experience changed his approach to winemaking. Until then he had studied other wines and wondered how he could make his wine more like them.\r\n\r\n\u201cNow I look at the raw ingredients available to me and appreciate them for exactly what they are,\u201d he says. \u201cNo one else has my grapes, my little patch of dirt or the uniqueness of my own site. And I want my wine to taste like my wine.\u201d\r\n\r\nWinemaking wasn\u2019t Black\u2019s first choice, but it quickly became the obvious one. After transferring from his sports science degree \u2013 \u201cthe path was leading towards PE teaching\u201d \u2013 he enrolled in winemaking at Charles Sturt University. It was a natural progression after growing up the son of a restaurateur. \r\n\r\n\u201cMy first job was in Dad\u2019s restaurant with my two brothers, prepping the starters,\u201d he says. \u201cWe got an early exposure to food, flavours and textures. As I got older, wine became the next fascination.\u201d\r\n\r\nAlong with the French harvest he spent time after university exploring wine regions to learn techniques and hone his flavour profiles. He worked vintages in the King Valley, Hunter Valley, Rutherglen and the Yarra Valley, among others.\r\n\r\n\u201cI\u2019d recommend getting as much exposure to as many different regions and styles as possible \u2013 that\u2019s how I figured out where my best fit was,\u201d says Black, whose love of cool-climate pinots and chardonnay eventually led him to the Mornington Peninsula, a region synonymous with these styles.\r\n\r\nThrough hard work he built steady contacts, and with good timing on his side he landed his first job building Willow Creek Vineyard in Mornington.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt was a pretty bold appointment; I had very limited experience,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I\u2019ve found that while young winemakers may lack experience, if they\u2019ve got the right energy and drive, and they\u2019re willing to learn, they can impress just as much, sometimes even more.\u201d\r\n\r\nAs he quickly found out in that first position, a winemaker will always have work to do. As well as the chemistry side, Black can be found receiving fruit, dragging pumps, working with distributors and marketing his product. During harvest he\u2019ll often clock on at 4.30am for a labour-intensive 12-hour shift. Last year he worked 56 days straight.\r\n\r\n\u201cWinemaking is like raising kids,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can\u2019t just go home if you can\u2019t be bothered. That\u2019s like saying you\u2019re not going to feed your kids tonight. You have to give it the attention it needs to get the best out of it.\u201d\r\n\r\nAs with children, the vines demand a different kind of nurturing as they grow older. \u201cThe goal posts move every season, and winemakers need to be adaptable because you\u2019re always at the mercy of the elements,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can\u2019t treat a two-year-old the way you treat a 10-year-old.\u201d\r\n\r\nBlack has continued to test and push himself throughout his 23-year career, be it with new blends, innovations or processes. To keep the creative levels high he\u2019s a regular at industry conferences and gatherings. \r\n\r\n\u201cYou have those invaluable conversations around the bar where you share stories and information, and at gatherings you taste other wines and get feedback on your own profiles,\u201d he says. \u201cYou have to feed the fascination, which only ever gets greater.\u201d\r\n\r\nThis article is presented in partnership with Hostplus, superannuation you can take with you throughout your career.\r\n\r\n