William Rose Wines / Bootlegger Wines

Interview With William Rose Winemaker Mark Nicholl

So Mark, What brought you to winemaking?

“I have been involved in the wine industry for over 20 years. My ever-developing vinous passion began after “falling into” the world of wine retail sales in Sydney, Australia. This passion was ignited after a friend gave me my first bottle of red wine (a 1989 Rouge Homme Shiraz Cabernet.) Though this bottle was not considered a rare or unique wine, it was enough to set my mind to the what, where, and the how of this delicious red liquid.”

Where have you made wine and what are your plans?

“After 14 years, over 20 vintages, and an Honours Degree in Oenology from the prestigious University of Adelaide, I have experienced a wide range of both old and new grape-growing and winemaking techniques.”

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More About William Rose Wines / Bootlegger Wines

“I have worked with fruit throughout South Eastern Australia including McLaren Vale, Barossa, Eden and Clare Valleys, Coonawarra, Yarra Valley, and Macedon ranges. Internationally, I worked in Apulia (Italy), California, Oregon, and the Beaujolais and Burgundy regions of France. These experiences, as well as working alongside the industry’s renowned grape-growers and winemakers, have taught me one valuable lesson: there is always a new challenge with each harvest.”

Tell us about your philosophy of winemaking.

“My style of winemaking, I guess, is a mélange of New and Old World techniques. My desire is to produce wines whose style and character reflect the style of fruit that the vineyard and season has provided. I am an avid ‘foodie’ and a ‘want-to-be-chef,’ therefore wines that are food friendly are important to me. A style of approachable food friendly wine that is balanced and cellar worthy is my goal.”

“These goals are made easier by working with vineyards (and growers) that produce fruit with excellent phenological ripeness in terms of flavour and phenolics, while still retaining good levels of the natural acidity essential for making balanced wines. In the cellar I embrace technologies that help to minimize the handling required of the fruit/juice/wine. I believe my job is solely one of quality protection; quality is created in the vineyard. Through my various experiences, I have adopted techniques from the Old World, which I believe are essential for building complexity and structure while remaining true to the fruit’s origin.”