Sherrah Wines

Alex Sherrah’s career started with a bachelor of science in organic chemistry and pharmacology, leading him to travel the world, to return home broke and in need of a job. Time spent as a cellar rat at Tatachilla and a graduate diploma in oenology at Waite University were followed by a job at Kendall Jackson’s Napa Valley crown jewel, Cardinale, making ultra-premium Bordeaux-blend wines. Stints at Knappstein and O’Leary Walker followed, punctuated by vintages in Burgundy and Austria. At the end of '11 he moved to McLaren Vale and Coriole, where he became senior winemaker in ’12, remaining there for 6 years, before moving on to head up winemaking at Haselgrove, his present day job. I (James) cannot help but pass on some of his words of wisdom (and I’m not being sarcastic): ‘Wine to me is not about tasting blackcurrant and cigar box but how the wine “feels” to drink. I believe in balance, a great wine should have no sharp edges, it should have beautiful smooth curves from front to back.’ Small wonder he makes such wonderful wines. -JAMES HALLIDAY