CRITTENDEN TASTING EXPERIENCE TAKES FLIGHT By Cameron McCullough It is hard to imagine a family more ingrained in the peninsula wine industry than the Crittendens. Garry Crittenden planted some of the first vines on the peninsula back in 1982. In fact the five acres he planted then doubled the peninsula’s entire planting at the time. Fast forward 33 years, and the peninsula boasts approximately 1600 acres of vines in what is now a renowned wine making region of the world. Not surprisingly, now at the helm of this winemaking family is Garry’s son and daughter, Rollo and Zoe, who head up the winemaker and marketing roles respectively. The 39-year old father of two young boys, Digby and Oscar, Rollo has already made quite the name for himself in the winemaking industry. music arts events entertainment
Having been named “Young Gun of Wine” in 2010, Rollo has taken the winemaking helm with enthusiasm and passion. After all, Crittenden Estate has been part of his life from an early age. “We grew up on site here. In fact, where you are sitting right now used to be part of our family home,” said Rollo of their new Crittenden Wine Centre. It is hard to imagine, but the beautifully appointed and majestic wine centre used to be filled with the younger generation of Crittendens running about enjoying their childhood. “As we grew, the vines and winemakers and the general experience of wines were all around us.” said Rollo. “In my youth, I fell in love with the winery because it was a fun place. There was always vintage workers coming in from overseas, and
there were always forklifts and flashing lights, and eccentric and interesting people that make the wine industry what it is.” “It was always a pretty cool place to be.” “I truly fell in love with wine around the dinner table. When I got older, every night dad would open up a bottle from his cellar and serve it blind at the table”. “I would always taste it, and we’d have a brief chat about the wine before he would reveal what it was.” “For me, that was really exciting way of honing my palette and learning about wine and developing that passion. He was lucky enough to have interesting and sometimes obscure wines from around the world, so there was never any preconceptions that ‘well, this is going to be another pinot from Burgundy’. There were all sorts of obscure things that opened
my eyes to the great world of wine.” “I do love pinot first and foremost. It is my true love, and I think the variety I enjoy making, and is the most challenging to make, but I’m intrigued by all forms of fermented grape juice!” It is not surprising that when Rollo left school, winemaking was his study of choice. He also worked overseas in the “off-season”. He did two vintages in the United States (Oregon and California) and also one in Barolo in Italy. In Australia, stints were spent producing vintages in the Hunter Valley and King Valley among others. Back home at Crittenden Estate, Rollo set about honing in on quality over quantity; to make the best wines possible, and build a strong name of excellence in the marketplace.
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