Toby Barlow on philosophy and winemaking

A PHILOSOPHICAL TAKE ON WINEMAKING

Toby Barlow, senior winemaker at St Hallett shows how his love of chemistry and philosophy feeds the art of winemaking.

Drinks Trade: When did you start your career in winemaking?

Toby Barlow: Back in 1997 I had finished my first degree, done my travelling in South East Asia and was really broke. I tried a job in a Sydney office and really hated it. My father had decided to plant a vineyard in the Strathbogie Ranges, just north of Melbourne. I went down, planted vines and lived in the shearers quarters for about six months. I met a few winemakers from Brown Brothers and they encouraged me to sign up to the winemaking degree at Adelaide University and I did my first vintage at Brown Brothers in 1998.

DT: Is it true your first degree was in Chemistry and Philosophy?

TB: My first degree was a Bachelor of Arts and I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do. I enjoyed Philosophy a lot so I thought of following that through. I was good at Chemistry so I followed that through to mid way through third year and decided I better finish something so I finished off the Philosophy major.

DT: Who was your favourite philosopher?

TB: I am listening to a few podcasts by Jordan Peterson and he quotes back to a lot of the German’s such as Kant and Heidegger and those philosophers I find really interesting. My main piece was around contemporary feminism and masculinity. Ethics of care interests me a lot. There are pieces that you take with you from each philosopher.

DT: How has philosophy helped your winemaking?

TB: There is that element of the creative piece. I did a fair bit on aesthetics too and that is probably that part of wine that is the really fun stuff and then underneath it is the science stuff, which I like, and you have to know it, and it’s part of it. I don’t mind a glass of wine either so that helps.

DT: Tell us about your passion for innovation in the winery?

TB: I will use an analogy that is perhaps a long bow to draw but I went to this fashion exhibition with my wife (I was the only guy on the tour). They had all these Chanel dresses and were talking about when Karl Lagerfield took over. Essentially what he did was he kept the dress and the shape but just changed the weave and that was really noticeable. I think with established brands such as St Hallett you have to be a bit like that. You have to develop a bit of an understanding about what the brand is. The thing with wine is you only get one go every year. You need to push yourself and have a crack at things.

If I think of St Hallett, I think all our wines should have a little bit of a thumb print of freshness and vitality. Sure, some of our styles have to be the classic rich and robust Barossa, but should still be recognisable as St Hallett’s.

DT: How was the latest vintage in the Barossa?

TB: The latest vintage was very small, short, fast and furious. Definitely not a vintage for the faint hearted. There is quite a bit of concentration to the wines. We are seeing a lot of colour, a lot of tannin structure. Yeilds were on average 40 to 45 per cent down, so not great for growers and wineries in terms of what we got, but it looks reasonably promising. Grenache is looking particularly good this year. It’s been one of those odd vintages. For us to be finished even now is unusual.

DT: How do you think climate change is impacting our wines?

TB: Vintages are earlier and more compacted. It’s part of that adaptation piece. With climate change there is a lot of good stuff that has been done in the vineyards in the last ten to fifteen years such as mulching and more effective use of water. The same thing at the wineries, some of the challenges with these vintages are just infrastructure. It’s something we need to be mindful of because I don’t think it is going to change. It is heading more and more that way. My Dad is a climate change scientist so I am hardly one to sit on the fence. I am definitely on the believer side and how we adapt to it.

The political football that it has been has been a little bit disappointing for some Australians. I can’t believe we are just getting on top of it because it’s kind of imminent and happening.

DT: Who has been the most influential person in your wine career?

TB: That is a really tough one but I have to say it probably is Don Lewis. He passed away last year. He was at Mitchelton. It was that phase where I was doing my vintages and I managed to snag a winemaker role and I was a bit in the deep end. He had a really good way about him in the sense that he encouraged me to go on and try new things. He was always encouraging. I feel very fortunate in the wine game. I have been lucky enough to come at the end of the boom time, but I have met a lot of people, I’ve got to travel all over the world. You meet a lot of good people.

DT: What is your favourite wine for in front of a fire in winter?

TB: You are asking a wine nerd here. I do like really good Cabernet and I like Shiraz. I worked in the Rhone and in the Barossa. I can’t tell you - I am completely occasion driven. I love all the classics. Great Pinot and great Chardonnay are hard to beat. I can’t nail it down.

DT: What are your thoughts on the waning popularity of Cabernet?

TB: It’s interesting because some of the greatest wines in the world are Cabernet. Unfortunately in Australia Coonawarra lost its way and was making really hard wines, really tough wines that had to sit in a bottle forever before you could even have a look at it. I think Margaret River has redefined the style into a more aromatic, medium style that is beautiful. Coonawarra has now made a comeback. I just felt people stepped out of it because they were just too tannic and people don’t want to drink something that dries their mouth out. It’s a pretty good time now for Cabernet. I think all the varietals go through these stages. You look at Chardonnay. Chardonnay is a killer now in Australia. It is world class but we did go through that massive blocky, oaky stage to the really lean stage and then people got in the zone. I sort of feel Shiraz is two to five years behind that in its cycle. It went from the really big massive oaky bombs and then it went super duper bunchy and lean and now it’s coming back to really beautiful balance. I am really positive about what I see on the show circuit in Shiraz classes.

You look at what people are drinking now and there is definitely a trend away from super heavy wines. There are still people who want to drink the 16 per cent Barossa Shiraz. It’s out there. I just can’t bring myself to make it. I do acknowledge the style. I’m happy for producers to be making it if it drives the overall value of Barossa wine up, that’s fine, but I don’t want to drink it.

SPIRITS & LIQUEURS LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

It’s time for drink brands to promote for the après ski occasion. Drinks Trade investigates who will be hitting the slopes this winter.

There is no better way to end a day in the snow than by sitting by an open fire and thawing out from the inside. Traditionally hot and spicy liqueurs and spirits such as Jägermeister and Fireball like to own the mountains but let’s not forget the allure of a warm mulled wine, the sessionability of good rich ale or the boost of an Espresso Martini to warm the cockles.

There is much happening in the snow in terms of investment and this fertile ground to promote to the après ski market can only benefit drinks brands. Recently Vale Resorts purchased Mount Hotham and Falls Creek for $174 million showing healthy growth and investment into the ski fields for future snow boarding and skiing generations.

Owner of the Dinner Plain Hotel on the Victorian Ski Fields, Georgia Sheriff, knows a thing or two about drinking in the snow. In her past life she was Victorian sales rep. for Jägermeister when Buller, Falls Creek and Hotham were her ‘babies’. She says people still want to drink what they like when they are on their ski holiday but explains that brands and on-premise still very much have the ability to create the culture and push a brand depending on winter promotions.

Georgia says the stalwart snow brands such as Fireball, Jagermeister and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire Whiskey are still big but cocktails are becoming more popular.

“In the past many après ski customers still enjoy the idea of doing a shot together as a group but the shot is not as big in the snow as it was say a decade ago.” Cocktails such as the Espresso Martini have translated well into the snow. Dinner Plain Hotel does its own version, the Kracken Espresso Martini, using spiced rum instead of vodka.

Traditionally mulled wine has always been a ski resort favourite but Georgia says there can be issues with consistency.

“Everyone of my staff thinks they are a mixologist and can

“In the past many après ski customers still enjoy the idea of doing a shot together as a group but the shot is not as big in the snow as it was say a decade ago.”

make the best mulled wine but you don’t get the consistency so we purchase this beautiful pre-mix that we add red wine to and it’s awesome.”

In terms of brand activation, she says Jägermeister is still the number one supporter of the snow and provides the on-premise with snowboards and hoodies but also brands such as Canadian Club and Dry provide crazy sherper hats for customers and Corona provides beanies. Carlton and United’s Frothy Ale from Matilda Bay will also look to invest in the snow this season.

Brand Manager for Frothy, Stephen McWilliams said Frothy has been really well received at the Dinner Plain Hotel since the beer launched last September. “This ski season we’re excited to be ramping up our involvement with the hotel. This will see discounted jugs of Frothy for winter staff working at the snow plus other exciting promotions,” he said.

Georgia says there is a big element of attaching the après ski occasion and the brand to the good time that customers have on their skiing or snowboarding holiday and then taking that memory home. “Because we all work on memory and emotions,” she said.

Senoir Brand Manager at Fireball, Jon Prew, says they are keeping some activations under wraps for now, so as to not spoil any surprises but “rest assured we’ll be bringing the fire to Jindabyne, Thredbo, Perisher and Falls this season because there is nothing better than a Fireball shot to warm you up after a day on the slopes.”

What they can tell us is they have collaborated with Aussie art legend, Le Grizz who has created some Fireball x Le Grizz snowboards, t-shirts and hockey jerseys. “Our crew of ambassadors will be shredding on these, and more will be available to win in bars and for sale on our merchandise store www.fireballmerch.com.au,” says Jon.

Fireball also work with Instagram and Facebook to target the Fireball demographic and gain awareness around the brand’s strategy in the winter season, as well as employ half a dozen part-time snowboard ambassadors to spread the word on the slopes.

“We are partnering with Thredbo for Fireball Fridays where boarders and skiers can get a Fireball shot between four and six pm when they come straight off the slopes before moving onto their drink of choice,” says Jon.

Jägermeister really promote the sharing and creating memories piece and call it a drink not to be drunk alone. Jägermeister brand manager, Tomas Rogers says Jägermeister will be looking at smaller events in the snow this year, less big giveaways and prizes and more intimate events where the brand can be enjoyed. “We are working on a few things. Watch this space,” he says. When asked about great ways to consume Jägermeister, Tomas said either an ice cold shot straight out of the freezer like they do in Germany or in a cocktail such as the Jägermeister Mule with a dash of bitters and ginger beer.