Interview with Robert Hardy [transcript] Interviewer: Rob Linn

Bob Hardy was born in Sydney 19 July 1931. His parents were Ken and Kathleen Hardy. His father was the manager of the Sydney branch of Hardys wines. The family started in Adelaide. He studied at Roseworthy in 1949 and then worked for a Renmark Distillery. He talks about McLaren Vale and Thomas Nottage. In 1954 he went to Napa Valley, England, then toured Europe with Henry Martin from Stonyfell. He was surprised how backward they were in viticulture using horses and donkeys in many countries. France was more up-to-date. He went to Europe three times. He talks about studying at Roseworthy. He returned to Australia via South Africa and started working as a Hardys winemaker in the Barossa at Dorrien. He went to the Hunter Valley every year to select grapes. He talks about the first Grange Hermitage. He was based at Mile End from 1960 to 1983 and then moved to Reynella. In the 1960s people began drinking red wine instead of fortifieds and by the 1970s white wine was more popular. Refrigeration led to better wine. Dick Heath was the winemaker and Bob was in charge of bottling and production at Mile End. They bought the Emu Wine Company in 1976, rebuilt the Houghton Winery in WA to use new technologies for producing white wine, and the purchase included all the Houghton wine varieties. Talks about the variety of the Hardys products. Also were the agency for Haig Whiskey. They did direct selling to the hotels and most of the hotels were run by breweries. Wine became very popular in European restaurants in Adelaide especially Hindley Street. Houghtons gave them access to the Canadian market. They began exporting Hardy wines in the 1970s. Mile End was too small so they sold it and moved to Reynella. They bought Padthaway in 1969. The Manager of Hardys was Bob's cousin Tom Hardy. When he died Wayne Jackson took over. They bought the Stanley Wine Company in the 1980s. In 1986 they decided to have a base in Europe and bought Languedoc in France. Bob retired in 1991. The biggest change has been the increased interest in table wines

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