Chris Molineaux Growin’ vines, drinkin’ wines Early on in his career Chris Molineaux was taught the only way to get through vintage was to work hard all day and party hard all night. The Grapegrower and Winemaker recently caught up with the young viticulturist to chat about how he managed to impress one of Australia’s most esteemed winemaking families and make a home for himself growing their grapes for the past 10 years. Emilie Reynolds reports.
THIRTY-YEAR-OLD viticulturist Chris Molineaux began his career in Griffith where his first experience in the wine industry was under the guide of industry legend Elio Alban. “I had been put in contact with the Alban Family of which Elio Alban was the patriarch,” Molineaux said. “Elio grew all his fruit organically and his old vines were hand-picked and delivered to Casella’s in the back of an old Bedford truck. “In amongst the machine harvested parcels and road trains you could find him in the line-up for the crusher. Elio was the salt of the earth. He supplied accommodation for backpackers looking for work in the Riverina and in return they would help him harvest his grapes.” A rare introduction into an adrenalin-pumped vintage season paved the way for Molineaux to find his home with Casella. He said nearly every night during vintage there would be a party hosted by Elio. “He lived by a great mantra that there was plenty of time to sleep when he was older and now was the time to party hard and work hard,” Molineaux said. “He introduced me to the 4660FluteGGW88x185 2016-08-18T10:02:27+10:00 Casella’s during the summer of 2006, following that meeting
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September 2016 – Issue 632
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Grapegrower & Winemaker
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