Greetings from Chalmers...

Tell us the story of the winery.

The Chalmers family’s commitment to innovation and excellence has made them a pivotal force in the Australian wine scene and saw them collectively named Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine’s Viticulturists of the Year in 2014.  Chalmers wines are estate grown at the family’s Heathcote vineyard, established in 2008, but their place in the viticultural landscape in Australia goes back more than 30 years.

What's your nickname when you're at work?

Snoozey.

What's your winemaking philosophy?

Let the grapes speak for themselves.

What's your favourite cocktail?

Anything bitter - Love a negroni or ameicano, or a good old campari and soda.

Tell us about your most memorable food and wine moment.

So hard to choose just one!  But being a lover of all things Italian - the best pasta of my life was in an osteria in Umbria in 2008 where I had a summer truffle and air dried ricotta strognozzi with our Italian 'brother' viticulturist Dott. Stefano Dini who is a Tuscan native.  He introduced me to Perticaia Sagrantino and it was a revelation, so much more approachable than other Sagrantino wines I'd had before.  Also sagrantino just made so much sense with the earthy summer truffles and sitting in the centre of the region it comes from.

You’re a castaway and you can only take three wines, one book and two luxury items with you - what are these and why?

Three Wines 

A Burklin Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling, A Villa Mathilde Falanghina and a Wiston Blanc de Blancs.  Dry textured and aromatic wines with plenty of zippy acidity.  Love a refreshing drink.

One Book 

Any book by William Gibson, the cyberfantasy legend whose writing has the ability to completely take me to another place.

Two Luxury Items

A guitar and comfy bed.

If you weren't working in wine, what would your 'Plan B' be?

Performing arts.  I trained as a composer and started my career in this field.  I've also curated arts festivals etc and love the industry.  I would definitely be working with artists and performance.

You can cook for three guests (living or dead): who are they, and what would you cook them? Also give us a run-down of what you'll be drinking.

I'd cook for Paul Simon, Steve Reich and Professor Brian Cox.  I'd probably cook Indian as I LOVE working with all the raw spices and spending the day constructing lots of different dishes to serve all together.  I would be serving dry, textured aromatic white wines and possibly a cheeky dry rose or bright young drinking red wine.  More than likely it would be a vegetarian meal and probably Aussie, Italian and German wines.