Neil Doddridge
35 years as winemaker and still going strong
- A Barossa lad born-and bred, been in the wine industry for 35 years
- Runs an organically-certified winery
- Won an award for The Best Australian Cabernet Sauvignon in the Royal Sydney Wine Show 2004
Neil Doddridge's Story
Neil Doddridge's Story
"I'm a Barossa lad, born and bred - and I'm still here... When I left high school, you either worked in the local quarry or in the wine business... so a bit of a no-brainer really! I soon fell in love with the work and have stayed in the industry since 1973.
I've had a very clean, green and natural approach to winemaking since the early 1980s when I was first introduced to organic practices. Our winery and its processes are 'Organically Certified' by an internationally recognized auditing agency... so we are a very tidy green unit. In my opinion, organic grapes do make better wine!
A few wine and winemaking philosophies I consider important
- Be brave with new grape varieties for your region - but be cautious to plant those that will make good wine and best suit the conditions. We have so much more knowledge about climate and soils now than we did 30 years ago
- Be clean, treat wine as food
- Be patient and understanding towards your fellows!
- All excellent red wine (personal choice) should have at least 10 years of age before being consumed, so get yourself a method of storing wine long term... those new electronic temperature controlled cabinets are fantastic for the modern home and don't consume much energy
- Don't wait around for someone else to enjoy wine with you, if your desire a bottle then open it and enjoy it by yourself. We're a long time pushing up daisies!
"Winemaking is a great combo of science, engineering and artistic endeavour. I get to do all of these things as part of my profession... excellent!"
Neil's Greatest achievements
- Trophy for the Best Australian Cabernet Sauvignon in the Royal Sydney Wine Show 2004 - "I worked bloody hard to make that wine into a superstar"
- And surviving as a winemaker for 35 years and giving up all of my summers in the process...
