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Being a winemaker isn’t just wine tastings and prestigious events. Just ask our Chief Winemaker Chris Hatcher. He’s seen both challenging and stellar vintages since starting at Wolf Blass in 1987. We sat down with him recently to find out more about Chris and his chase for excellence.
I find wines incredibly interesting, almost intellectual. Region, variety and winemaker all impact on the quality, style, flavour and characteristics of a wine and there is always something new and exciting to discover. You never stop learning.
When I was about 11 years old my sister won a bottle of wine in a raffle but did not drink it as my family was teetotal. The bottle was stored in our cellar and I was always fascinated by it. I studied Science at University and at the end of my first year I took a year off to earn some money and I was very fortunate to get a job in the laboratory at the Australian Wine Research Institute. This fueled my passion for wine so I returned to University, finished my degree and got a job in the Barossa Valley working for a winery.
I have been very fortunate to have a successful career in the wine industry and I get paid for working on my hobby. I have made wine in Australia, California and Chile. Along with making wine, I now get to travel and share the story of Wolf Blass wines all around the world.
My family, cars particularly from the 1940-1960s, road cycling, antiques and great food.
Winemaking is a great combination of modern science and the old world and these are my passions.
There was not one person who encouraged or mentored me. I have learnt from everyone I have met in the industry and in particular whilst judging at wine competitions. If I think about who has inspired me, it would be remiss not to mention our great founder Wolfgang Blass. I remember meeting him for the first time at the Melbourne Wine Show in 1976 and I was in awe. The industry was very stuffy back then. But this young German bloke who spoke in broken English brought a sense of fun to it all. He showed you didn’t have to be conservative to be successful.
In winemaking every day is different and that is what makes it unique, challenging but also incredibly rewarding. I particularly enjoy tasting and working on blends as well as talking to customers and consumers about the great wines we make at Wolf Blass.
The biggest challenge in winemaking is to maintain the quality and style of our wines year in year out when every vintage is different and has unique challenges. Wine is a natural product and so the quality is impacted by many factors, particularly the weather. Blending is an important technique to achieve consistency.
Taste a broad range of wines and conceptualise the style and quality of the wine you would like to make. Grape quality determines the potential of the final wine, so sourcing appropriate fruit is critical. Then use the best winery equipment and oak and don't compromise during winemaking and maturation to achieve what you aim to make. Attention to detail at every step whilst making wine is essential to making the optimum quality.
My greatest triumph has been developing a passionate, quality driven winemaking team at Wolf Blass that will not compromise on quality and is prepared to do whatever it takes to be the absolute best. Most recently I was in London to collect the Red Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine Challenge, on behalf of the team. It’s the third time we’ve been awarded this trophy, which is humbling.
The great diversity of climatic conditions, some of the oldest soils in the world and passionate grape growers and winemakers makes Australia an exceptional place to make great wines. We make some of the most unique, consistently high quality wines in the world and we are now being recognised and rewarded globally. We are proud to show that Wolf Blass and Australia are world class.
I have always had confidence that we can make some of the best wines in the world so I am not surprised by our success. Luck happens when great planning and preparation meet opportunity. So chasing our dream of being one of the best wineries in the world came down to having a dream, planning how to achieve it and not compromising until we achieved our goal.
I love wine, I am a perfectionist and coming second is not an option for me.
My parents taught me to have a strong work ethic and to be the absolute best I can at everything I do. Being a perfectionist is a great attribute to have for a winemaker.
Wine is my hobby and passion and it has defined my life. Making the absolute best quality wines and winning awards drives me to continually improve and evolve our wines.
Clearly define you dream, plan how to achieve it, measure your performance against your plan and don't compromise until you achieve what you desire. Then celebrate your success and after, set the next challenge.
Wolf Blass Wines was established in 1966 when Wolf began making small parcels of his own wine. The first Wolf Blass Yellow Label was made from the 1966 vintage. The first wine to bear the Wolf Blass name was the 1967 Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, which carried all the Langhorne Creek hallmarks of softness, drinkability and concentrated flavours of eucalypt and mint. Two years later, Wolf Blass acquired the 3 hectare 'Bilyara' site, 4kms from Nuriootpa in South Australia's Barossa Valley. Upon learning Bilyara is the Aboriginal word for Eaglehawk, and with the eagle being the national emblem of Germany, Wolf decided Wolf Blass wines would carry the eagle emblem.
Wolf hires his first winemaker, John Glaetzer, in 1970. John is later appointed to the role of Senior Winemaker in 1974, and the two form a formidable partnership and one of Australia’s most successful winemaking teams. The iconic Black Label is launched in 1973, the first a blend of 80% Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Eden Valley Shiraz matured in American and French oak for over 16 months.
Just eight years after making his first wine, Wolf Blass wins the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the 1974 Royal Melbourne Wine Show for the 1973 Wolf Blass Black Label. Wolf would go on to win the award again in 1975 and 1976.
Chris Hatcher joins Wolf Blass as Senior Winemaker in 1987. Chris would go on to become Chief Winemaker, a role he still holds today. Five years later, Chris would win his first major accolade, when the winery was awarded the Robert Mondavi Trophy for the Winemaker of the Year at the 1992 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
In 1997, Caroline Dunn was hired as a red winemaker: she would be instrumental in creating Platinum Label Shiraz and the Gold Label range. She went on to become a highly respected and influential Senior Winemaker.
In 1999, Caroline became the first female to win the Jimmy Watson Trophy, for the 1998 Black Label which she made with John Glaetzer. Just two years later, the 1998 Wolf Blass Black Label won the winery a fifth Jimmy Watson Trophy – a astonishing feat unmatched by any other producer.
In 2000, Wolfgang Blass was awarded the Maurice O'Shea Award, one of the Australian wine industry's highest honours, for his enormous contribution to the industry during his 35-year career. The following year saw the opening of the new $30 million Wolf Blass winery.
From 2008 to 2016, Wolf Blass would go on to win a slew of awards, including IWC International Red Winemaker of the Year (2008, 2013, 2016), the IWSC International Winemaker of the Year (2013), Intervin Winery of the Year (2013), CWSA Australian Wine Producer of the Year (2013), and the Australian Export Hero Award (2008).
In 2019, Wolf Blass took a bold step into the future, launching the Makers Project, a range of wines which celebrate the artistry and wine making innovation at the heart of Wolf Blass since 1966.
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