Interview with Eric Brand [sound recording] Interviewer: Rob Linn, Part 1 of 2

Eric Brandon was born at Qualco in September 1917. His parents had a fruit block at Qualco - vines and citrus. He married Bill Redman's daughter Nancy in 1942. Prior to the war he was a baker and pastry cook. He moved to the Coonawarra in 1950; the only wineries were Woodleys and Redmans; he worked at Redmans looking after the vines and sheep, about 300 acres of red wine; they sold out to Lindemans in 1965 so he bought some property and began the Laira winery; made bulk wine for Hardy's; built a winery with above ground concrete fermenting tanks; the Coonawarra prospered after Redmans bought the winery and vineyards from Woodleys for 25,000 pounds; he started bottling from his first vintage in 1966; sold wine by mail order and cellar door; Eric grew Cabernet and Shiraz; talks about the local identities; he had 60 acres of red grapes; his sons studied at Wagga and they planted white grapes; talks about selling wine in Melbourne and Sydney; biggest change has been mechanisation; made his best wines in the early 1990s; change from open to sealed fermenters improved the wine; he sold out to McWilliams who employed his sons as managers

Copies may be made for research and study. Publication only with written permission from the State Library.

To request approval, complete the Quote for Copy/Permission form.