Wine

Meet Chester Osborn from d’Arenberg

The Wine Selectors Wine of the Month for October is the d’Arenberg The Broken Fishplate Sauvignon Blanc 2014. So we caught up with its maker, the man of many shirts, Chester Osborn.

You’re a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards – how does that feel?

I feel quite honoured, however, at the end of the day I’m just doing what I love. It’s not work. If it’s worth doing it’s worth doing well.

Can you recall the first wine you tried?

It was probably a flagon wine when I was about four years old. I also remember that at around seven I tasted the so-called good reds and I didn’t like them. The fortified white Muscat was nice though.

When did you fall in love with wine?

At the age of seven I decided I wanted to be a winemaker, so I guess I was in love with wine even if I didn’t like much of it.

It’s a hard call but do you have a favourite wine or varietal?

I suppose it would be Nebbiolo from Piedmont. However, Grenache from McLaren Vale or Priorat are right up there.

How do you come up with your wine names?

It used to be never before 2am. Now it’s sitting on the toilet first thing in the morning reading the dictionary.

How has your dad d’Arry influenced you?

From time to time dad talks about how he used to do things, which puts his wines in perspective. Most of todays’ wines and the winemaking are the same as then but with more control. Dad was also frugal with money, which has been good in making me justify every expense. It has been a great working relationship. Often he worries, but what was planned more or less always occurs.

White, red or both?

At d’Arenberg we produce 72 wines from 37 grape varieties – all colours are accounted for.

What do you do when you’re not making wine?

Lately the d’Arenberg Cube has been taking up an enormous amount of time, especially the art installations but also all of the intricate architecture and engineering. Lots of wine tasting and drinking also fill my days and nights, and I have a heap of other projects on the go.

How many shirts do you really have?

We ran a competition recently asking exactly this question, it turned out to be 372.

What is your favourite….

Pizza topping: Salami with a bit of spice and other meats
Shirt: Robert Graham limited edition
Book: Science Illustrated or Cosmos
Movie/TV show: Science fiction
Restaurant: El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
Dinner: Fish amok
Time of day/night: all day, no preferences
Sporting team: Norwood football club. My great grandfather JR Osborn started d’Arenberg and the Norwood football club.
Christmas present: Art or sculpture
Childhood memory: Making things like planes and cars
Holiday destination: Spanish cities or French country villages
Angle to view the d’Arenberg Cube: Seaview Road