Andrew Fleming
HITTING A HIGH POINT
From the first batch of botched wine he made as a teenager, to heading up winemaking for one of the Yarra Valley’s top wineries, Andrew Fleming has come a long way.
At the pinnacle of Yarra Valley wine, Andrew’s wines showcase what the region does best, including bright, elegant Chardonnay and aromatic Pinot Noir. Andrew is chief winemaker at the acclaimed Coldstream Hills winery, where he draws on more than three decades of winemaking experience and a global understanding of what makes great wine. When he’s not playing football with his three sons, that is.
Crafting cool-climate classics
Growing up in country Victoria surrounded by vineyards, Andrew was bitten by the winemaking bug early on. He attempted his first wine in his dad’s shed when he was just 13.
“Everything went wrong … It was undrinkable and highly explosive,” he says.
But with more years behind him and a degree in agriculture, Andrew was becoming an impressive winemaker. He headed to France to study winemaking at the University of Bordeaux and work in a few wineries, before doing a vintage in California.
“I think Australian winemakers have an innate desire to travel,” says Andrew. “And I think that’s super important because rather than just looking at what’s in your own backyard, you get out there and see what’s around. And that gives you ideas.”
Back in Australia, he built his reputation in well-known Victorian wineries before joining Coldstream Hills in 2001. Based in the cool-climate Yarra Valley wine region, Coldstream Hills was founded by renowned wine writer James Halliday and has become one of the region’s best wineries.
Perched on a hill, the winery overlooks an amphitheatre of vines that give way to the Great Dividing Range in the distance. It’s a stunning view that inspires Andrew to create wines that reflect this environment: fresh, clean, vibrant.
“My winemaking is about respecting the vineyard, and in the winery doing as little as possible, just nurturing those wines along the way,” says Andrew. “But at the same time, having the freedom to constantly look at ways we can improve what we’re doing.
“We want Coldstream Hills to continue to play an important part in the Yarra Valley, to make great wines, to show the world what Coldstream Hills, the Yarra Valley and Australia is all about.”
“My winemaking is about respecting the vineyard, and in the winery doing as little as possible. But at the same time, having the freedom to constantly look at how we can improve.” – Andrew Fleming
Disclaimer
This information is presented in good faith and on the basis that Wine Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given via this channel.
