THERE ARE echoes of David and Goliath in the contest for the 2008 Australian Wine Company of the Year Award. The judging is based strictly on producers' performance over the entire year - in other words, on how many of their wines scored four stars and over. Usually, because of the sheer weight of numbers, the winner comes from the biggest 10 wine companies - but not always. This year d'Arenberg Wines of McLaren Vale simply outshone the competition with their consistently good wines.
They do have a lot of wines in their portfolio, considering their size. This small to medium sized family-owned winery has more than 30 different styles, ranging from bubblies to fortifieds and everything else in between. And there's going to be more, with a new batch of interesting and unusual wines biding their time in barrels.
Why would you want to make so many wines? "Because I can," says d'Arenberg's main man, Chester Osborn. "There are lots of places where you wouldn't be able to (make so many wines) but every grape variety works well in this area - from the early-ripening ones to the late developers. We're lucky that we have such a mild maritime climate. But that's not the only reason why I like to make so many different wines. I want to understand winemaking to the nth degree; the more varieties I work with, the more styles I make, the more vineyards I have to get to know, the more I learn. And having the same varieties at different price points makes me a more consistent winemaker."
And when d'Arenberg got into the export market they didn't do that by halves either. They export to 65 countries. A difficult task? "Not really," says Chester. "I did that to spread the risk. And, of course, I have a lot of good people out there helping me." And no, surprisingly, he doesn't make different wines for the export market - overseas consumers enjoy the same wines Australians do.
The Osborns have been dabbling in wine in McLaren Vale for a while now - like 96 years. It all started in 1912, when teetotalling Joseph Osborn, then a director of Thomas Hardy and Sons, purchased a vineyard in McLaren Vale. Joseph's son Frank, who was studying medicine at the time, thought a life on the land was far more appealing, so swapped his scalpel for pruning shears and joined his father. Next generation, Frank's son d'Arry made winemaking a career too, as did d'Arry's son Chester. And there are three young fifth-generation Osborns quietly waiting in the wings for their turn.
d'Arenberg Wines hasn't exactly been the quiet Australian. You could safely say any regular wine consumer who hasn't heard of the red striped label at some stage has spent far too much time on Mars. And the same goes for the company's chief - Chester the extrovert of cheerful countenance, long, golden tresses and eye hazard attire.
Chester Osborn has been called many things in his time - one journalist aptly described him as someone who "… walks to the beat of a different drum". He is as distinct and unique as the wines he produces. Did he learn to be different or was he born that way?
"They say I get my eccentricity from my mother, but my dad is pretty outgoing too," he says. "I once took a personality test, many years ago, and got the perfect score for an extrovert. It was the first time they had ever had anyone get a perfect score. I was told an extrovert gets their energy from being out and about, whereas introverts lose their energy when away from home." That's probably the reason why Chester heads overseas three times a year - not only to make sure the company name stays front-of-mind with international consumers but also to recharge his batteries.
d'Arenberg Wines have long been associated with quirky wine names and back label tomes, and can probably claim to be the pioneers of this form of marketing. "It all started in the early '80s, when I first used the word 'old vine' - no one had mentioned that on a wine label before; now every man and his dog talks about their old vines. Even the French have caught on now."
McLaren Vale couldn't have a better ambassador for the region than d'Arenberg. Their wines are truly regional, with 95 per cent of their grapes coming from McLaren Vale and the other five per cent from just up the road in the Adelaide Hills. They grow about one third of their own grapes and the wines they produce reflect the rich diversity of soils and the many micro-climates the area has to offer.
Making more than 30 different wine styles every year, exporting to 65 countries - it all sounds like hard work. But not for Chester. "I don't feel like I've worked a day in my life. It's like I'm still making mud pies, except the ingredients have changed a bit. I'm having so much fun." And that sort of enthusiasm shows up in the wines.
So does he have any regrets about things he didn't do. "Anything I've missed in the past I only see as an opportunity for the future." And with so much idle time on his hands, Chester has been busy working on another little venture soon to have its debut - loud male clothing!