It took me six years, a university degree, an around the world working holiday and an encouraging Kiwi to come full circle, return to my home and start my wine label in the Barossa. I now proudly make these wines in the same small village of Bethany where three generations of the Schwarz family have cultivated their living from the vineyard. It wasn't easy being the son and grandson of state pruning champions, and when I finished school I thought I'd pursue any interest other than winemaking and grape growing so off I went. During these six years I not only gained a wine marketing degree in Adelaide and fantastic life experience traveling to London, Paris and Barcelona but my appreciation and renewed passion for wine working in and visiting Bordeaux, Burgundy, The Rhone, Stellenbosch and The Napa. Returning to the Valley in 1998 I met the young entrepreneurial and truly artisanal winemaker, Peter Schell. This lost Kiwi taught me about the art of winemaking and the craft that is taking the raw material and crafting it into something extraordinary. After some encouragement from friends I approached my father to discuss buying a small parcel of his fruit from the 2001 vintage. He agreed and I put together my first Nitschke Block Shiraz, making only two hogs head barrels. In 2002 I produced my first Thiele Road Grenache and have made both wines every vintage since. To this day my parents have supported my venture and without their encouragement and sacrifice of some of the Barossa's greatest Shiraz and Grenache I could not have made this dream happen. I hope my wines speak to you in the glass and tell the story of my life in the Barossa. My winemaking style is purposely low intervention, I like the fruit to speak for itself, I hope you will agree.
Jason Schwarz P.S. Click here to join the Schwarz Wine Company mailing list – I've got lots of exciting offers planned for 2011, including 'museum' and new releases. |
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