Recipient of the hunter Valley Rising star as well as young gun of white wine awards, as well as with names on his CV like Scarborough Wines, Thomas Wines, Hunter’s dream Estate as well as currently Bimbadgen, it was only a matter of time before Richard Done started his own label.

The hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest white wine region, where grapes grow in a few of the country’s oldest soils too. It’s a region that’s house to a few of the nation’s oldest as well as longest-running wineries – true institutions of the industry.

But that doesn’t indicate there aren’t new, young wineries emerging from the ground here.

Just as the buds on the vines begin to show, so Richard Done (pronounced like ‘tone’, not ‘tun’) has released his very first bottles from the brand new winery John Wallace Wines.

These very first two bottles, the Maggie – a white blend as well as Juju – a nouveau Shiraz, show the bounce in Rich’s step at the interesting beginnings of what’s sure to be a pillar winery of the region.

We satisfied rich at a pre-concert lunch for Bimbadgen’s exceptional Day on the Green, where he told me about the opening of his winery as well as the up-coming very first release for John Wallace Wines.

Maggie – floral, fruity as well as younger on the nose however with sharp, dry as well as rather grown up flavours of white peach, eco-friendly apple as well as a light toastiness.
Juju – bright as well as medium bodied – great deals of red currants as well as fruit forward. Well-balanced as well as extremely drinkable.

10 concerns with Richard Done of John Wallace Wines

1. When did you choose you wished to run your own winery – or has it always been on the cards for you?

I really examined Business, directly out of institution in Sydney. during this program I had an additional curriculum subject called white wine Appreciation (uni trainee life – haha).

During this I had to match food as well as wine, apple tarte tatin as well as a dessert wine. I was blown away by exactly how well they sung together. It was like a lightbulb moment.

Since then I always wished to be in wine.

Long story short, I was in the UK for three years working in sales, tastings as well as logistics in wine, came house as well as wished to discover the craft of making wine, started with Scarborough for a vintage task for about six weeks back in 2008 as well as never left.

I ultimately examined a Masters in white wine science as well as Viticulture. quite much after my very first vintage I understood this was what I wished to do.

Image by MJK Creative

2. I expect Covid has produced its own set of issues for you starting a new winery. however what other difficulties have you had to get rid of so far?

The very first difficulty is to get respect from your peers as well as then the consumer side. That is the long road of discovering as well as implementing, networking as well as listening, whilst trying to get some runs on the board as far as accolades or just styles people like to drink.

I am extremely fortunate for the two mentors I have, being Ian Scarborough as well as Andrew Thomas.

Secondly, either going out completely on your own or, in my case, commanding sufficient respect from my employer to begin a side job or a enthusiasm as well as innovative project. I am extremely fortunate.

I am positioning my wines to be different than Bimbadgen’s or if not, extremely much from different vineyards. We truly want to tell our own story.

3. You’ve helped some absolute standout hunter Valley wineries – like two of our favourites Bimbadgen as well as Scarborough. What are your fondest memories of working in the white wine industry?

Every day it’s simple to get out of bed as well as go to work when your enthusiasm is likewise your job.

My fondest memories would have to be a few of the generosity shown by Ian Scarborough as well as Andrew Thomas, with the extraordinary wines we drank, or the stunning restaurants we ate at as well as the people I satisfy along the way.

Winning white wine awards is always a great pat on the back, however all in all my fondest memories are those including my peers, who are likewise my mates. all of us utilized to play rugby for the Pokolbin Reds, 95% from the white wine industry. We had some fantastic times as well as likewise played some quite great rugby.

4. When you begin a white wine line, do you ever do it with a specific food pairing or circumstance in mind?

My approach on white wine making is if I can’t drink a bottle to myself, I don’t want to make that style of wine.

I am always believing about where as well as when my wines will be drunk, as well as indeed what these wines will pair with. In stating this, my wines are a lot more circumstance based than specific food pairing. however I always have in the back of my head: damn that would go well with this.

I like being able to play chemist as well asmanipulate people’s tastebuds as well as sensors to take pleasure in my wines, as well as take them on a journey whilst drinking them.

5. What’s your much-loved part of the winemaking process?

I like harvest. Yes, it is demanding on myself as well as my family, however it is when you see all your difficult work throughout the year – or a few years sometimes – come together as well as end up in a choosing bin, prepared to begin being made into white wine (from grapes).

It is such an incredible time in the winery, so much energy (and craziness) going on.

I believe any individual that wishes to genuinely comprehend white wine has to do a vintage when in their life.

Image by MJK Creative

6. like the concept of calling the winery after your grandfathers as well as the very first wines of your variety after your grandmothers. They need to have had a big effect on your life – did they have an influence with your path to being a winemaker?

Thank you, my full name is likewise Richard John Wallace Done, so it is an ode to my grandparents, whilst likewise being instantly connected with myself.

I can’t state they had a big effect on me being a winemaker, however they sure did motivate household as well as belongingness, as well as this is what we are trying to depict with our story of John Wallace Wines.

We want people to find along as well as be a part of our journey as well as story.

My grandparents were extremely much an effect on who I am; they always taught us to dream, as well as we might be anything.

7. What was the motivation behind the white wine labels? Who’s the surfer as well as footballer?

Surfer is myself as well as soccer player is my partner, Beth. This is our very first snippet into us trying to tell a story on what we do as well as like to do.

Beth is an extraordinary soccer player as well as I like surfing. This will be a variety that evolves with a lot more sketches to find on a lot more white wine labels for different styles of wine.

It will be understood as our Sketch Range. The artist is our graphic designer Megan from MJK Creative, she is great. who understands who may appear as an artist on these in the future?

8. The Maggie as well as Juju are gorgeous wines, however as you’ve said, they’re easy-sipping drink-now wine. will you be or are you working on white wine that will cellar or a bolder white wine where you’ve amped up structure?

Yes, Maggie as well as Juju are meant to be lively as well as fun, simple drinking styles.

However, we have a Reserve Chardonnay in the finest French oak at present new as well as older, as well as is due for release mid-December.

This will be my version of old institution big, buttery, with ample oak, as well as new-school, driven, mineral as well as funky. This Chardonnay is from a stunning residential or commercial property near Denman, this is a clone of Chardonnay I have always liked (Bernard 95). I can’t wait to get this out to you all.

The second we have for release in December is our Reserve Shiraz. This is likewise maturing beautifully in French oak new as well as old, as well as will have all the hallmarks of a high-end hunter Valley Shiraz.

The fruit for this Shiraz is from the valued blocks at Pokolbin Estate, where lots of other brands make wines from $60-$100/bottle.

We are starting at $45/bottle, so a bargain for this vintage, as well as it won’t last long.

9. What are your plans for other releases? What’s next for John Wallace Wines?

We have a few concepts in the pipeline, as well as a few trials we have already conducted. One that will be in the near future is a Rosé of sorts.

I am trying to push the limits with our wines, so this may be something that once again can engage consumers as well as make them concern what they have always been drinking, whilst having some fun with it.

10. Where’s the very best location to get your wine?

At this stage, COVID lockdown, we really are operating online. We have plans to push into restaurants as well as bottle shops, enjoy this area for a cellar door or a tasting facility, including a few of your other much-loved white wine brands.

Check out johnwallacewines.com.au or email hello@johnwallacewines.com.au for any type of queries.

I am always up for a chat as well as to link with as lots of people as I can.