Bottling the Yarra Valley

Willy’s wines embody the philosophy that “you can only grow flavour”. What he does in the winery is completely guided by what’s happened in the vineyard.

“When you’re making decisions about how to make a wine, it’s already all there,” says Willy. “The fruit gives you a road map, you’ve just got to find it.”

Willy went straight into the wine world after high school, and never looked back. He started at the renowned Petaluma in the Adelaide Hills where he stayed for 15 years, and then expanded his horizons at Shaw + Smith and in Oregon in the US. In 2008, he joined Yering Station and remained there for over 12 years. 

“I love getting out of bed and coming to work,” says Willy. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. Wine is like a big, soft couch that you lie in and it envelops you – it’s quite easy to get into and really hard to get out of.”

Home to the Yarra Valley’s first vineyard in the 1800s, Yering Station is a highlight of the region, renowned for its elegant Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz wines that epitomise the crisp air and ancient soils.

“What I love about cool-climate viticulture is that the wines tend to be more elegant, more pretty, more subdued, with delicate flavours,” says Willy.

An acclaimed winemaker, Willy isn’t driven by critics’ praise but by his love of wine and passion for creating something for others.

“Trophies and medals are all secondary to seeing someone sitting down, laughing with friends and drinking wine that you’ve made,” says Willy. “It’s incredibly satisfying.”

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