Don’t talk to Neil McGuigan, chief winemaker of McGuigan Wines, about ‘organic winemaking’. The words invite a sardonic smile; an expression that unlocks the door to a minefield. “Ten years ago, I converted a big vineyard to organic because everyone around the world wanted organic wines. It cost me a fortune. Then when I went to the same people who wanted organic wines, they said, ‘That’s fantastic. How much cheaper do they cost?’,” says the 61-year-old Australian. “I converted the vineyard back [to nonorganic].”
“If someone can explain to me how I can make better wines from organic winemaking, I’d be happy to listen,” he adds.
You suspect few would take up his gauntlet. Or if they do, they’d better do their homework. With four decades of winemaking experience, Neil is an icon in the Australian wine scene, having seen all the ups and downs of the industry. He also led McGuigan Wines to the prestigious titles of International Winemaker of the Year and Australian Producer of the Year in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2016 at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, becoming the first winemaker to win the awards four times at the competition.
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