He trained as a pilot, but it’s his deep understanding of the wine business, as well as his finesse as a winemaker, that makes him a real high-flyer.
Purely by chance, Corey Ryan’s Winemaker of the Year nomination came just as he resigned from his job at Dorrien Estate. From April, he’s devoted himself to Sons of Eden, the Barossa-based winery he established in 1999 with viticulturist Simon Cowham.
Ryan is a hugely talented and accomplished winemaker who tends to fly under the radar. This is because he has worked largely for big, corporate wine companies that focus more on brand than individual personalities.
He originally wanted to be a commercial pilot. Although he has his pilot’s licence, he never worked as one, but aviation is still a passion. During his training he gained a degree in microbiology and molecular biology, and then a master’s in oenology at the University of Adelaide. He was the first to graduate from this new course, then rounded off his education with a graduate diploma in wine business.
In 1993 and 1994 he worked vintages in Coonawarra. The 1996 vintage saw him at Henschke as assistant winemaker. He then travelled back and forth between France and Australia, working vintages in both hemispheres for four years. “Stephen and Prue [Henschke] were fantastic mentors to me and I owe much of my appreciation and understanding of winemaking and viticulture to them,” he says.
His French experience was during the era of the ‘flying winemaker’ – he made wine in up to eight co-operatives in several regions for English supermarkets. This period introduced Ryan to the other side of the wine business, “I gained a big understanding about what price-pointed wines and value propositions were all about”.
In 1998 he spent four months at Chapoutier as intern winemaker. “This was a fantastic experience as it really highlighted the significance of (vineyard) site on wine quality and style,” he says.
For three years (2000–2002) Ryan worked full-time for Henschke, which was “where I started to really develop my passion for Eden Valley as a wine region”.
A move to New Zealand followed and from 2003 to 2008 he headed (together with Alastair Maling) the winemaking team at Villa Maria during a period of intensive growth. This was when Kiwi sauvignon blanc took off, followed by pinot noir. “My time with Villa Maria influenced my winemaking in Australia,” Ryan says. “I looked at shiraz differently after making a significant amount of pinot noir in New Zealand – using extended cold-soak pre-fermentation, whole-bunch inclusion and natural fermentation techniques.”
In 2007 his father became ill and Ryan returned to Australia, the move happily coinciding with an offer to be group chief winemaker for McWilliam’s. He was able to do this from the Barossa, which was central to the far-flung group. During this period McWilliam’s started a new business called Echelon which produced wines styled and branded in stark contrast to McWilliam’s offerings. Brands like Zeppelin, Armchair Critic and Partisan delivered outstanding value for money. This also entailed working with producers in Spain, Italy and France, leading to consultancies, which Ryan maintains.
Next, Ryan was approached to join the Woolworths-owned Pinnacle Drinks group, based at Dorrien Estate in the Barossa. In 2012 he began as general manager, group winemaking and viticulture, responsible for Australia and New Zealand. During nearly four years at Dorrien Estate he has worked with such brands as Riddoch, Cat Amongst The Pigeons and Baily & Baily.
Since Ryan returned to the Barossa, he and Cowham have focused on lifting the production of Sons of Eden. Cowham’s family owns 60 hectares of vineyards in Barossa and Eden Valleys, and the pair built a winery in Light Pass. They have about 10 wines, specialising in shiraz, grenache, riesling and cabernet, and have released their first tempranillo. Later this year they’ll release two new flagship wines: 2012 Sons of Eden Autumnus Shiraz and 2015 Sons of Eden Cirrus Riesling.
Ryan self-effacingly describes himself as a Womble, a creature who lives underground and collects things. “I tend to acquire bits and pieces of information and influences from everyone and everywhere I travel, piecing together a wine rationale or wine style. I’m also starting to look like one these days,” he jokes.