THE AUSTRALIAN ARK – Federation to the Modern Era | 1900–1982
1958 MCWILLIAM’S PEDRO XIMENEZ SAUTERNES/DESSERT WINE Riverina, New South Wales
The 1958 McWilliam’s Pedro Ximenez sauternes inspired Darren De Bortoli to make the groundbreaking 1982 De Bortoli Semillon ‘Sauternes’. It was something of a freak wine for its time, probably the very first botrytised Australian dessert wine. At the time, few people understood the potential of this style. The rare occurrence of botrytis during the normal growing season required Glenn McWilliam to make something different. This accidental wine showed all the hallmarks of a classic botrytis wine: golden colour, intense honey/marzipan aromas, richness of flavour, and viscosity.
. . . The Kaiser Stuhl brand appeared in 1958 after winemaker Ian Hickinbotham joined the South Australian Grape Growers Co-operative. His arrival marked a golden period of commercial wine production, with a new direction in sales and marketing. The invention of Barossa Pearl by Orlando in 1956, a sparkling wine made using the tank transfer method, had captured the imagination of younger drinkers. Hickinbotham searched for a suitable winemaker who could emulate this success. By 1961, Kaiser Stuhl’s Pineapple Pearl and Cherry Pearl would appear on the market, made under the supervision of German sparkling wine specialist Wolf Blass. The Kaiser Stuhl brand, also comprising an array of dry white and dry red table wines, would become a major feature in the Australian wine market and a significant driver of the Barossa Valley’s national recognition. But Wolf Blass would become the most famous winemaker in Australia with his flamboyant advertising and personal branding. His knack for making appealing wines for the average wine drinker would result in him becoming one of the richest vignerons in Australian history. . . . The 1950s (and into the next decade) saw major advances in winemaking techniques, from yeast technology to fermentation practices (particularly barrel fermentation in American oak) and oak maturation. Prior to the development of Grange, Penfolds
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