Talking Riesling with John Vickery

He’s made red and white, sweet and dry, but it is for his legendary exploits with riesling that John Vickery has cemented his place in Australian wine history. As winemaker for Leo Buring, Vickery influenced virtually three decades of pace-setting riesling. Here he talks about his experience with riesling and its resurgence.

When was your first winemaking experience?

My first vintage was in 1951, as a student working for the Emu Wine Company in Morphett Vale. It was one of the most modern wineries I came across in my early years, with refrigeration and a fantastic fino solera system. My first full-time job was as assistant winemaker for Leo Buring here at Chateau Leonay, which was very much a fledgling winery in those days.

Vickery transferred to Rouge Homme which by then was also owned by Lindemans from 1974 – 1982, returning afterwards to Leo Buring as maker and brand champion. He parted ways with Southcorp which purchased Lindemans in January 1990 after the 1991 vintage. Leonay was purchased by Orlando in 1993, so the great irony of Vickery’s later career is that he is based at the very winery he made famous when employed by Leo Buring. Vickery made the first Richmond Grove rieslings at the renamed winery in 1994.

What were the challenges of making riesling in the early days?

Winemaking in those days was very crude. We once figured that we forked each bunch of grapes by hand four times just to process it. We didn’t get refrigeration until 1962. It was a slow grind; the industry was basically focused on fortified wines, so they were difficult years.

What achievements are you proudest of?

My best work – and my hardest times – were probably my first years at Rouge Homme. We had just planted the vineyards at Padthaway and the winemaking was very basic. Lindemans were building the massive bulk winery at Karadoc, so all their efforts went towards the wine cask. But they were constructive years.

In the 1960s and 1970s I was learning how to make good riesling. Throughout the 1960s we were competing with Orlando Vickery’s present employer!, who then held the limelight. They had all their incredible pressure tanks and German expertise with riesling from Guenter Prass and others, but we still managed to knock them off with our concrete tanks.

What changes have you seen over the years in the making of riesling?

Winemaking is much the same as in the 1960s, although we’re fine-tuning what we learned then, with more toys to play with. Back then we fermented riesling in concrete, while today we use stainless steel. We have better presses, more refrigeration and better bottling lines. People are backing off using enzyme treatment in riesling a process that creates distinctive bath-powder and confection-like fruit in young wines, but it still has its place with commercial styles. And while we were locked into using a single yeast twenty years ago, there’s a better selection available today.

Like everyone else, we’re also spending more time in the vineyard and we’re also perhaps more conscious of vineyard selection. Today there’s an accent on hand-picking, but if you machine harvest you need to process quickly.
Will the rieslings made today keep as well as the classics of the 1960s and 1970s?

They should last for as long, if not longer. We’re more conscious of fruit character today. If a wine hasn’t got it, it lacks appeal. Today we’re seeking a good volume of delicate flavour.

Everyone’s talking about the revival of riesling. What’s your perspective on the issue?

It’s certainly happening and the higher profile small makers are doing well. That’s the fickle nature of the consumer; they tend to go for boutique wines first. The best of them are certainly very good, if small in volume, but there’s plenty to do with the riesling market if people are to turn to consumer wines as well. There’s room for improvement in the quality of trade commercial riesling, but there’s no doubting its worth when compared with other wines. Jacob’s Creek is in there with the best, at only $7.

There’s more interest in the trade. Richmond Grove’s Watervale Riesling is on allocation. Orlando’s St Helga has run out. But there’s not much planting of riesling going on and I’m a little concerned whether we’re going to have the fruit to keep up with the increased interest.

Is Great Southern WA riesling worthy of comparison with those of the Clare and Eden Valleys?

There are some nice examples, but there’s a great variation in style from herbaceous cool climate wines to the very flavoursome, more attractive wines from Frankland River. There’s possibly a bit of a problem with equipment in the area.

What other rieslings are you impressed with?

I like some of the Tasmanian rieslings, but there’s not much of them. I enjoy the Pipers Brook 1997; it’s almost Germanic. Delatite Mansfield, Victoria is also doing some good things.

What has John Vickery lined up for the next few years?

I’ve taken a back seat production wise, but I’m still here at Richmond Grove looking after riesling making and espousing its virtues, but this winery is now becoming more of a red wine cellar.

I’m getting a little tired of wearing my riesling hat, but at present I don’t have a chance to do much else. The old knees are getting a little rickety, but I’ve always been interested in making reds. I have a few shiraz vines in the Stonewell area and Peter Lehmann is presently getting their fruit. Water’s something of a problem, but I’ve still got more land to plant…

Spoken like a true great white wine maker! Ed. Please login to post comment