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Artis X Ondeen Wine Room
Verdun, Adelaide Hills, South AustraliaWine Tastings:
Open 7 days a week, 10am – 6pm
My Story
Unlike many of my peers, I didn’t grow up in a “wine family”. In fact, my parents hardly drank at all. Dad had the occasional glass of flagon port, while Mum sipped away on her cream sherry. When I was about 13 years old, I read an article about Champagne in one of Mum’s magazines. I remember it well because, although I had heard of wines called champagne, I found it intriguing to learn that there was actually a place called Champagne! Could there also be places named after Port, Chablis, Burgundy and Moselle? I had to learn more…
Several years later, I went to Roseworthy Agricultural College to study winemaking (Oenology). Barely of legal drinking age, I was a state finalist in the prestigious Vin du Champagne Awards in 1988. Much to my surprise, the organiser of the competition, Holly Kerr, was the author of the magazine article that had left such an impression on me, years earlier. After graduating from Roseworthy in 1990, Holly assisted me in finding a vintage job at a small family-owned winery in the Cote des Blancs, Champagne. At last, I was on my way.
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One night, the owner of the Champagne house opened a magnum of his ’64 Blanc de Blancs. We sat there chatting and drinking, he didn’t speak a word of English, nor did I speak any French, yet somehow we were deeply engaged in conversation until around three in the morning. Being in Champagne just felt right to me. I had a similar experience one night in Portugal, when a local grape grower invited me to try his home-made wine. Once again, we didn’t speak the same language, but I was invited to stay for dinner and a great night was had. I love the way a bottle of wine and some good food can bring people together, transcending language and cultural differences.
Following a few more vintages abroad, it was time to “get a real job”. After a short stint at DeBortoli and Miranda, in Griffith, I started work with Orlando Wyndham in 1995. Working for a large company was a great opportunity to make wine using fruit from all over the country. We also “played” with a lot of small batches and experimented with oak barrels from all over the place. It was even where I met my wife, Ann-Marie (we were match-mated by the HR team!) Working in a “proper job” gave me the means and opportunity to travel and work in the USA (Geyserville, Sonoma County), Spain (Rioja), China (Ningxia), New Zealand (Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough), India (Nashik) and Argentina (Mendoza, San Juan and Cafayate). The passion for food and wine was the same as it was when I first went to Champagne, however, the corporate politics became even stronger and it was time to move on.
I founded Artis Wines in 2016, making a Clare Valley Riesling and an Adelaide Hills Shiraz. “Artis” is Latin for craft and art, which seemed an appropriate name as I wanted to get back to the basics and craft interesting wines that, whilst distinctly Australian, are a bit quirky and unique. My label is a collage of images representing the countries where I have worked, the snakes and ladders being a play on the various ups and downs experienced along the way.
So once again, I am on my way…
Awards & Reviews
Australia’s Best Nero d’Avola
“This wine screams at me to take it to a BBQ with grilled meat and sausages”
