By Renee Wood
Yarra Yering winemaker Sarah Crowe has been announced as this year’s Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller Wine.
In true lockdown fashion, the event was held online but nonetheless receiving the award was albeit the same – bringing Sarah to tears when it was announced on Zoom.
“I was thinking about the people who had helped me get to where I am all the beautiful people in my life and I teared up a little bit, it was quite emotional really,” Ms Crowe said.
Winemakers are selected to be finalists by Gourmet Traveller’s panel of judges with Ms Crowe impressing the panel with her oustanding wines.
“It is almost eight years since winemaker and viticulturist Sarah Crowe arrived at the historic estate of Yarra Yering – effectively custodian of the legacy of the late Dr Bailey Carrodus,” said judge Sophie Otton.
“She took on a great responsibility. In return, she and her team have taken something that was already beautifully formed and skilfully recast it in a new creative light.”
“Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Crowe’s Yarra Yering journey is how she has thoroughly modernised the wines without eroding the label’s legacy,” said judge Toni Paterson MW.
The accolade follows recent successes for the winemaker and vineyard, the latest was being named winery of the year and wine of the year going to Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2019 vintage.
“We’ve had a lot of success with the 2019 vintage wines from multiple reviewers this year, so I think it’s just the strength of the 2019 vintage and we had a really good 2018.
“So I think it’s been a bit of a build up over the last few years really and the judges being impressed with the whole range of wines.”
The winemaker stepped into the role eight years ago, taking lead of production for the vineyard which was established in 1969.
Ms Crowe believes the difference she has made is letting the vines do the talking.
“I’m trying to make wines where the actual winemaking takes a backseat by highlighting the strength of the vineyard, you see less of the winemaking hands, I guess less extractions of tannin and less obvious oak in exchange for beautiful fruit weight and purity in the wine so you get a real sense of the vineyard instead of the winemaker.”
The changing seasons and cool climate has a great influence on the vines, something Ms Crowe was attracted to when she applied for the position at Yarra Yering.
“You get to experience the seasons and you can kind of live through them, which is really what what the vines are doing at the same time as well and what makes them Yarra Valley is the climate. So I really love the fact that they’re quite distinct seasons and I think it gets reflected in the wines at the same time.”
Crowe moved to the Yarra Valley after 12 years cutting her teeth in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
“The Hunter Valley is a pretty difficult place as well to grow grapes. It’s a pretty challenging place to make wine up there. Some people say if you can make good wine in the Hunter Valley, you can make wine anywhere, so that certainly has probably helped having that as part of my experience.”
And there doesn’t seem to be much further to go than being named Australian’s best winemaker but Sarah said consistency will be the goal of future growth, with the award a recognition of the whole team’s efforts.
“I’ve got a great team of people who work alongside me and even though it’s my name on this award, I feel like it’s a recognition for all of the team here.”
