Stefan Hartmann

I grew up living on various farms that produced wine grapes. In my primary school days we lived on a farm next to a winery. I guess this planted the seed for my love of wine!

Later on, my Dad started farming grapes and selling them off to a Co-op Winery. This is when I decided to go study Viticulture. The degree I did at University combined viticulture and wine. After learning more about wine, doing practicals and making experimental wine, I was then well and truly hooked.

What do I love about the job? Well, I love to create things and then see people enjoy it. The satisfaction of this makes all the effort worth the while.

Winemaking gives me an all round experience, with something new everyday. Your time is divided between office work (which is crap!), cellar work (which is great) and farm/vineyards (which is also great).

If any of them get under my skin, I move to the next one, and so on until I get everything done (or not as the case is sometimes...!).

There are of course a few other things which aren't so great about the job... snobbish wine critics and personalites for example! But without a doubt, the positives outweigh the negatives!

My top winemaking philosophies?

• Make wine people want to drink, not spit
• Keep the varietal character of each wine by not adding to much wood
• Use every vintage to better the following one
• Use the best grapes possible
• Remember to enjoy it and not work/worry all day