Meet your MAKER

I hope he will forgive me for describing him as the ‘grandfather’ of the Peninsula wine industry. I use the term on this occasion not as a reflection of age, nor as an indication of his generational influence on region’s wine history. For me, the word grandfather encapsulates wisdom and gentility, it commands respect and it identifies a person of stature, importance and humility. That just about describes Nat White perfectly and whilst I am the conduit to these words on paper, almost all who are privileged to share a wine experience with this man, could be the author.

In 1965 whilst traversing the European countryside on a one year camping adventure, Nat White discovered the wine regions of France. The place of particular enchantment was Burgundy. He was enthralled not only by the wines of this region but by the authentic villages and peasant nature of the village inhabitants. It was these people of modest circumstances and their ability to produce sublime wines that captured his heart and set him on an adventure of different kind. Back in Australia in 1966 he was dismayed by the popular view that red wine meant Shiraz and Cabernet, and that Pinot Noir was a little known, obscure variety. Those who admitted to knowledge of the grape saw it only as a component of sparkling wine.

The deep appreciation that White had developed for the pinot noir grape was nurtured by his research and in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture he formulated a plan to establish a southern Victorian vineyard. Nat White is a patient man and it wasn’t until 1975 that he found the site which satisfied his rigorous criteria for the establishment of his chardonnay and pinot noir vineyard. Perhaps others could see the land’s potential even though the property was planted to lemons with much of it inaccessible. The purchase price of $25,000 was a princely sum almost thirty years ago.

White commenced his planting schedule which, by the aggressive vineyard development strategies employed today, was a conservative approach. One acre of vine every year for six years. Subsequent expansion has been equally reserved and the current plantings on Main Ridge Estate now total 7.5 acres. Viticultural activity on the Peninsula in those early years was almost nonexistent.

Ballieu Myer had planted one third of an acre in 1971, however it would be up to White to write the opening pages of the Peninsula’s modern wine history.

White enrolled in a wine making degree at Charles Sturt University in 1977, and engaged the assistance of his father-in-law Gwyn Jones, to make his early vintages. Encouragement and support was also forthcoming from strong supporters of a local wine industry and he cites Peter Mitchell and Rick Saleba (Melbourne retailers) as individuals who assisted with early brand establishment. Whilst his formal winemaking study created a foundation of information, Nat has always trusted his instincts and believed in his own ability. “Quite simply”, he says, “knowing comes from experience” and he clearly approaches what other may perceive as challenge, to be just another experience.

From the beginning there was no doubt that Nat White would produce wines only from the grapes grown on his own vineyard. He has no interest in fruit from other sources and believes that if he hasn’t planted, nurtured and harvested the grapes the resulting wine would be just another pinot. Nat is only interested in pushing and discovering the potential of the fruit from his own back yard. His thoughts are akin to the philosophy of an old friend and mentor in Burgundy….’why would I be interested in other wines when this is what I love’.

Perhaps of all the roles a vigneron must fulfil, it is the role of vineyard worker that best suits Nat White. He is only half joking when he says that come June his hand starts to twitch with the anticipation of secateurs. However, it is not only the meditative tranquillity of pruning that he finds so satisfying. He is spellbound by the beautiful uniformity of a vineyard, and he is fuelled by the belief that he has some, albeit small, influence over nature.

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