Adrian Tobin
BREAKING THE MOULD
Vigneron Adrian Tobin objects to being called a winemaker. In the emerging Granite Belt wine region, he doesn’t make great wine, he grows it.
Adrian never enters wine shows, thinks winemakers get too much credit and believes Queensland’s Granite Belt is the future of Australian wine. He’s also making strong statements with his limited-release wines. Ranging from bright Semillon to rich Merlot, Adrian’s wines are crushed, fermented and bottled with minimal interference, and never blended – each variety gets its own spotlight. It’s all about showcasing his meticulous work in the vineyard.
Quality above all else
Adrian was ready to retire after a successful and varied career, including as a pharmacist in Brisbane – but he wasn’t ready to put his feet up. In 2000, after years of searching, he and his wife Fran bought a vineyard in the Granite Belt wine region.
“We looked as far away as Margaret River and Tasmania,” says Adrian. “But there’s no other region in Australia that can put together what we have here in terms of altitude, topography, soil type and cool-climate temperatures.”
The Granite Belt is one of two official wine regions in Queensland – a state famous for its hot weather and beaches. But the region’s high altitude gives it a cooler climate capable of producing top wines. It’s got a relatively young wine scene with a small but growing reputation.
“Give this place 100 years for the vines to mature, and this will be the centre of the universe for Australian wine I reckon,” says Adrian. “All I can do is start and hope other people carry on.”
After buying the vineyard and planting new vines, Adrian let them mature for 10 years – often working 100-hour weeks – before releasing any wine. Even now, most of his effort is spent in the vineyard.
“I’d been told by people walking me through their beautiful vineyards that exceptional wines start and finish in the vineyard,” says Adrian. “That was my philosophy when starting Tobin Wines. I didn’t want to learn to become a winemaker. If you get beautiful fruit your wines will make themselves.”
It’s all about quality over quantity. Grapes deemed not good enough get cut from the vine and substandard wine doesn’t get bottled.
“My approach to everything has always been simple,” says Adrian. “If you’re going to do anything, do it well and you’ll be successful.”
“I didn’t want to learn to become a winemaker. Exceptional wines start and finish in the vineyard.” – Adrian Tobin
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