FOR Franco D’Anna, winemaking is more than just a lifestyle, it’s a family affair.
He said he ‘fell into’ his job as a winemaker at Hoddles Creek Estate, when his parents decided to plant vineyards in 1997.
“We’ve had a property out here in Hoddles Creek since 1960,” he said.
“They decided to put vines in there – I came here for two weeks to give them a hand and just never left.”
Since then, the winery has received acclaim for its wines and for its prices, being awarded as the Best Value Winery in Australia in the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion Awards.
The secret to the estate’s success, according to Mr D’Anna, is a focus on detail, an old-school approach to making wine, and using grapes perfected in the vineyard.
“We try and get the fruit right in the vineyard,” he said.
“It’s almost like cooking – when you’ve got the good ingredients, it’s just a bit of seasoning and that’s it.
“We spend 96 per cent of our time in the vineyard, and we don’t try to push the wine in a certain direction, we let it find its own way.”
Mr D’Anna said that winemaking had been a passion of his for years, and described the practice as a combination of art and science, along with months of hard work.
“For me, personally, it’s the flexibility and not being confined to four walls,” he said.
“It combines an art and a science – you can dictate how much art you want in the wine, and how much science.
“At the end of the day, you work for 12 months and you see the results in the bottle. There are not many trades where your work is transferred to something in the bottle and it gets reviewed.”
The life of a winemaker is not all parties and drinking wine by the fire, however, and Mr D’Anna said his work wouldn’t be possible without an understanding family, willing to accommodate long working hours in harvests.
“I’ve been married for 13 years, and I’ve been away for two years collectively, with harvests overseas and here,” he said.
“It’s not all about going home and drinking wine – it’s a huge sacrifice for family. It’s a level of commitment you need to have.”
In terms of the future, as with his approach to the past, Mr D’Anna said he wanted to keep things just the same at the estate, working on wines and making them the best they could be.
Hoddles Creek Estate is located at 505 Gembrook Road, Hoddles Creek, and runs tours by appointment.
For more information, visit www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au, email mail@hoddlescreekestate.com.au or call 5967 4692.
