Respected Coonawarra winemaker Sue Hodder (pictured) has celebrated three decades in business at Wynns Coonawarra Estate.
Ms Hodder reflected fondly on her last 30 years thus far at the winery, which she said was an “absolute privilege” to be a part of.
“Wynns is really a chapter of Australian wine and, increasingly, the quality of our vineyards and our wines are being recognised around the world,” she said.
“So it is a privilege but also a responsibility and we work with really great people who have got the ability to respect the past but also have a vision for the future.”
Ms Hodder began her career at Wynns in 1993 as a winemaker under the guidance of Peter Douglas and was appointed senior winemaker in 1998.
In 2021 she was named a Fellow of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) for her outstanding and meritorious contribution to Australian wine.
Ms Hodder said there had been many highlights over the years, however the 60 years of Wynns Black Label Cabernet tasting was a particular stand-out.
“Some big wine critics said it was the best wine tasting they had ever been to, a huge honour for a local label,” she said.
“It is history in the glass, it really is.”
Wynns has experienced changes throughout the years, however their passion for producing high-quality wines at great value for their consumers has always remained the same.
“The things that have changed are we are acknowledging climate change and that impacts on our wines, on our vineyards, the timing of our picking and what we do,” Ms Hodder said.
“We know water is a very precious resource now and we are very conscious of soil health and looking after our vineyards in a sustainable way, reducing emissions from the winery and reducing wastewater.
“Another thing we have changed is we now generally use screw caps on our bottles, not corks and we find that has been very successful for us.”
Ms Hodder said the Wynns workplace had also grown increasingly diverse in terms of gender, age, experience, nationality and background.
“We are just a more diverse workplace than we were 30 years ago, that’s a good thing, everyone brings something different,” she said.
Ms Hodder is very passionate about winemaking, which she said was a very rewarding career.
“I love the seasons every year being different,” she said.
“I also love the fact that you make something agricultural but then you can keep it for many years and it reflects the year and the people and what you did to it, so you have a record of it, but I also love the taste of the wine.”
Ms Hodder said whenever she drinks a glass of aged wine it takes her back to the vintage it was produced and said three stand-out vintages were the years 1994, 2010 and 2019.
“I find myself, when someone mentions the year, I think of the vintage conditions, whether it’s the news or someone talks about sport, or their life, in my head goes straight back to what the vintage was like,” she said.
“It is a significant part of your life every year.
“It has been an absolute privilege to be here for 30 years.
“And not just Wynns and the beautiful vineyards, but the community here is incredible, they have been a great friend to me.”
