Sean (pronounced ‘Shane’) is Blue Pyrenees’ multi-talented, travelled, modern day renaissance man. He joined our team in 2006 and brings an erudite and international perspective on all things from the soil to the label. Like most of our team, he escaped the corporate scene where, in his words “conformance not performance is important”.
In 1990 he escaped office boredom to “lots of fun” working at Lillypilly Estate in NSW in the vineyard, cellar and cellar door.
At Southcorp’s Tumbarumba (one of Australia’s coolest vineyard regions) between 1992 and 1998, Sean worked his way up from Vineyard Hand to Supervisor to Manager of Tumbarumba Vineyard, producing premium and super premium sparkling base, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. He says “I learnt a lot here. Great little vineyard. Great fruit.”
His next challenge was as Vineyard Manager for a Southcorp greenfields development of 180 hectares between 1998 and 2002. “I started with a plastic table and chair under a tree, with a pencil, paper and phone. Great opportunity. Great fun.”
Sean’s weinderlust took him to Italy in 2003 where he settled for four years as Chief Viticulturist for Calatrasi, one of the most dynamic, cosmopolitan and important wineries of Sicily where 276 different grape varieties are cultivated. He had oversight of 80 hectares of vineyards in Italy and 200 hectares in Tunisia, and planted another 360 hectares in Puglia, Sicily and Tunisia (mainly Primitivo, Nero d'Avola and Syrah). He was responsible for improvement of the fruit quality of their growers and for purchasing fruit on an annual and long term basis. Sean attests it was a great place to live but a tricky place to work, “The fruit buying involved lots of time in bars drinking great coffee with whiskery men who wanted to kiss me.”
Sean returned home to Australia to avail us of his experience and ingenuity at Blue Pyrenees Estate, where performance and not conformance is important.