Don Redman

Don Redman was born in Penola in 1927. His father was William Redman who was born at Stewarts Range. He built Riddoch winery and stayed there to learn about wine making. William bought 40 acres from Riddoch in 1907 and began to make red wine. He sold wine to Tolley and Woodley. Thomas Hardy and Fourier advised on the grape plantings. Don's early memories are of blocks of fruit with very few vines. Don has 2 brothers and 1 sister. He is the last surviving child. He became involved in the wine industry in 1950 when he planted 5 acres of Cabernet which was the largest planting of Cabernet in Australia. There was no market for red table wine. Colin Haselgrove took cuttings to establish the Reynella Wines. He won first prize at the show in 1948. He talks about changes in growing methods; beginning to bottle wine in 1952; being guided by George Fairbrother on when to do the bottling; bottling 1500 gallons and creating Rouge Homme; selling wine to the Wine and Food Society in Sydney; cost 48 shillings for a dozen bottles; making wine for Mildara and Penfolds; they did not have a winemaker; had problems with frost and in 1960 had the first outbreak of downy mildrew. He talks about people in the industry; sold out to Lindemans; bought property from Arthur Hoffman; he and his brother moved to Adelaide and bought a house at Urrbrae; bought a wineshop on Fullarton Road; worked under Australian Wine Licence; Dunstan government brought in new licences for bottle shops and they took up the first licence; moved to a bigger shop on Glen Osmond Road; sold their shop and licences to Coles in 1982; recently been involved in wine inspection; they sold Wolf Blass' first bottlings in their shop and knew him very well; technology has been the biggest change; McLaren Vale now make good red wine; Don became a judge at wine shows around South Australia and in Brisbane for many years, then became an inspector for export wine; the show circuit has now become too big