Nathan Kinzbrunner
RISING STAR
Nathan Kinzbrunner grew up in Victoria’s secluded Beechworth wine region, where he’s now crafting sell-out wines, keeping family traditions alive and testing new ideas.
Nathan’s biggest inspiration is his father, who bought a block of land in the 1980s based on nothing but instinct and turned it into one of Australia’s best vineyards. Originally a business analyst, in 2007 Nathan spent a few months working a vintage at Giaconda and fell in love with winemaking. He joined the business full time, where he helps to manage the organic vineyard and craft brilliant Chardonnay. He’s also making his own mark with new varieties and techniques.
Building a wine legacy
A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Nathan takes after his father, Rick, who founded the highly acclaimed Giaconda vineyard and winery, and produces some of Australia’s top Chardonnay. Nathan assists with winemaking and manages the business side of things.
“This is where my father found his home and his ultimate life expression, and I absolutely love to be part of that,” says Nathan.
Nathan sees his role as not just helping Rick but also providing inspiration.
“I think he’s having a run of some of the best Chardonnays he’s ever made in his life,” says Nathan. “I feel that having the next generation behind you really inspires you to do the best job you can.”
Recently married, Nathan and his wife live on the family property in the remote, ruggedly beautiful Beechworth wine region.
“It’s very important for me that I experience living on the property together with my father,” says Nathan. “But I also look forward to developing this life with my own family, and if we’re lucky enough to have children, I would love them to be here and experiencing this.”
Nathan took a big step towards that goal when he started his own vineyard on a nearby hill. On a trip to Italy with Rick, Nathan was inspired to plant Nebbiolo and the pair have now released their first wines.
“Nebbiolo offers something new to myself and Dad,” says Nathan. “The winemaking is really quite different. We’re actually looking to experiment with fermenting an ageing Nebbiolo in amphora [clay vessels].”
For Nathan, it’s all about striking a balance between tradition and innovation.
“Here in Australia, we’re lucky enough to be creating winemaking traditions for ourselves,” he says. “My father and I use our own methodologies; we develop our own techniques for what suits our site. I think it’s very important for us to keep developing our own tradition.”
“Here in Australia, we’re lucky enough to be creating winemaking traditions for ourselves.”
– Nathan Kinzbrunner
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