Montoro Wines

Bob Derrick was a teacher at Mudgee TAFE when Gil Walquist asked him to teach aspects of the first viticulture course. Bob says that teaching the course was a two-way affair, where he felt he learned just as much, if not more, from the local growers and winemakers who were his students. A chicken and egg affair if ever there was one. But it led to the next milestone, when he was invited by Brian Croser to enrol in the wine science course at Wagga Wagga, becoming the first student not directly employed in the wine industry at the time. Further down the track he and wife Jennifer arrived in Orange, in 1988, with sky-high interest rates making land acquisition impossible, and Bob had to be content with involvement in the newly formed Central Highlands Grapegrowers Association. When grapes were planted on the Montoro property over 1992-94, he thought all possibility of buying the Montoro land (which he had long admired) was lost. Karma meant that the property changed hands and the vineyard had been largely neglected. In 1999 Montoro was put on the market, and Bob and Jennifer were able to grab the opportunity. It took five years of hard work to rehabilitate the 3ha of shiraz, the ultimate reward coming in the Orange Wine Show '14, when their 2013 Pepper Shiraz won a gold medal. They produce five styles of Shiraz from the tiny vineyard: Pepper Shiraz, Dry Red, End of the Day Rose, Opal Eyes Sparkling Shiraz, Shiraz Blanc and Vintage Shiraz (fortified). I devoutly hope they remove Shiraz Blanc from the wine portfolio. -JAMES HALLIDAY