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Mike Guerin
Managing Director
Elders Rural Services
Robert Setter
Director – General
QLD Department of Primary
Industries and Fisheries
Gerald Leach
Chair Climate Change
Working Group
National Farmers Federation
Justin Smirk
Senior Agribusiness Economist
Westpac Banking Corporation
Allister Watson
General Manager, Meat
Coles
 Lawrence Arthur
Commissioner
National Water Commission
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 Mr Bernard Hickin,
Chief Winemaker Orlando Wines In a roundabout way, Orlando Wines has South Australian winemaking dynasty Tolleys to thank for its Winemaker, Bernard Hickin.
A city boy, Bernard grew up in a wine drinking family, but had given making it no thought at all until a school friend of his secured a job at Tolleys’ winery on Adelaide’s north eastern edge. He went along with him and underwent a sea change. A latent passion surfaces when Bernard remembers that first experience. “Walking in, I remember the aroma of reds fermenting, the vibrant purple colour of the red caps … they had a cool room where they fermented Riesling and the lemony smell of the fermenting wine … it was just like being in another world, a little cocoon of activity so different to anything else in the city. I was absolutely fascinated by it,” he recalls.
From then on, he was hooked. Sadly today the winery has gone due to housing, but the memory is still vivid!
He undertook a Roseworthy Agricultural College degree in the mid-70s, which in those days was combined with General Agriculture. As well as providing a handy grounding in broad acre farming, sheep and cattle handling, Bernard believes it also gave him a broader outlook on life than the straight Wine Science courses of today might. While there, he worked a vintage at Berri Estates with Brian Barry and Ian McKenzie in the Riverland to get a feel for large tonnages and logistics, something which undoubtedly stood him in good stead in January 1976 when he landed his first job with Orlando Wines at its Griffith winery, just as it was about to undergo a major increase in production.
Griffith, in New South Wales, was mainly bulk wine then, but between 1976 and 1987 Bernard witnessed and oversaw a progressive move to sparkling wines and bottled varietals, including the burgeoning brand and runaway success, Jacob’s Creek. He worked to produce the best possible wines from the region, including the luscious Gramp’s Botrytis Semillon of which he is particularly proud.
For part of each year he travelled back to Orlando Wines in the Barossa Valley assisting with wine blending, and in 1976, his first year, clearly recalls one of the earliest blend exercises for Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Cabernet Malbec. In particular, the focus of the blend was for a softer early drinking red wine style that would have wider consumer appeal. 1976 was also the official launch year for the now famous Jacob’s Creek brand. The rest is history!
In late 1987, Bernard moved permanently to the Barossa as Operations Winemaker, where his passions for white wines and botrytis Semillon were joined by another real love, Sparkling Wine.
He was made Senior White and Sparkling Winemaker in 1994, and took on responsibility for the whole group in 1997 – and he really couldn’t have been happier, since he’s always had a bent for white wines and always found them fascinating. He responded to their slightly more technical requirements and the need for fastidiousness, and is known and respected in the company for always working to get a better wine, never settling for second best. Such dedication is not confined to the winery, however. A walk through the vineyards
of Burgundy, tasting grapes off the vine and seeing how a variety’s flavour could alter every few yards, made Bernard realise how crucial site selection or “Terroir” was.
It prompted him through the 90’s to become one of the prime movers behind Orlando Wines push to get winemakers out into as many vineyards as possible and to get the very best quality from each and every block. He says this process means that all Orlando Wines grapes are picked at their optimum ripeness and flavour potential, whether they are for Jacob’s Creek St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet or Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Rose.
Bernard for many years also held overall responsibility for all oak purchases, and went to Europe twice a year to select the best oak barrels. He loves nothing more than discussing regional subtleties of different types of oak barrel flavours and their impact on wine style.
Bernard’s passion and enthusiasm have and will continue to impact on the Winemaking team at Orlando Wines. His wisdom and quiet tenacity will undoubtedly instil far more than technical know-how to up and coming generations of winemakers.
Promoted to Chief Winemaker of Orlando Wines in February 2006, Bernard now has overall responsibility for the complete portfolio wine brands and products produced by Orlando Wines. His focus has been and remains the continuous improvement and refinement of the Company’s key brands, in particular Jacob’s Creek.
Appearing: Day One - Tuesday 24 November 2009 09.30 Agricultural Producers PanelA discussion of the major issues confronting the Australian agricultural sector including:
- Water
- Climate change
- Infrastructure
- Markets
- Biosecurity
- Govt policy
Chief Operating Officer,
Elders Rural Services Australia Limited Mr Rob Robson, CEO,
OneHarvest Chief Winemaker,
Orlando Wines Director,
Agribusiness Association of Australia |
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