[yellow tail] Chief Winemaker

As Chief Winemaker at Casella Wines, Alan's role is to manage the crushing, making and blending of almost 12 million cases worth of wine per annum - while maintaining the consistent taste of [yellow tail] year upon year. It's not an easy challenge! 

Alan has been working in the position of Chief Winemaker at Casella Wines for over 13 years, with his winemaking team growing from two to 13 winemakers during this time. The crush capacity has also grown - from 200 tonnes in 1996 to over 190,000 tonnes in 2009.

Alan's initial interest in Winemaking grew from his passion for chemistry. After completing one science degree he went on to study and complete wine science. Alan has a constant hunger for a challenge and a desire to learn as much as he can about making the best wines possible. If you are looking for Alan around the winery, you're likely to find him with his nose in a wine science journal.

A few words from the Chief...

The best part of my job is...

when things go according to plan.

My no.1 wine variety is...

Chardonnay.  I drink it at home. It's the Chardonnay and the Shiraz that do best in warm areas like Griffith. They're made to drink young, which means that, at [yellow tail]'s price, you've got reliable, quality wines.

My words of wisdom to you are...

The harder you work, the luckier you get. 

I would most like to share a glass of wine with...

My wife, Sarena.

I couldn't live without...

Our kids.

If I were an animal, I would be...

A gorilla.

My favourite Casella moment was.....

When Bill Deutsch said a big part of the reason for the success was that the 20 millionth bottle of [yellow tail] tasted the same as the first one.

Alan Kennett Biography