Montalto Winery is nestled within the Mornington Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia. Chief winemaker, Simon Black, has credited a family connection to the passion which has driven his career.
“My father had a strong interest in wine and food which ultimately saw him transition from a career in politics, into the world of restaurants, cooking and hospitality,” said Black.
“As a young child, I was immersed in this world and discovered a fascination with the endless possibilities for creating new flavours and textures, mixing and matching foods. As I grew, it was inevitable that wine would become an integral part of my life.”
Simon Black’s self-described ‘obsessive’ nature and dream to create world-class wines have driven his career and his desire to be part of a team of equally committed staff.
“The challenge of trying to create a product of excellence against a backdrop of everchanging variables is what feeds the fascination, and even after 30 years, the quest to succeed never diminishes.”
The original vineyards were planted in 1986, and Montalto remains a family-owned business that strives for excellence. Montalto takes inspiration from the local Mornington Peninsula area and specialises in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. As a winemaker, Black has a goal to coax out what he thinks will make a wine still that best expresses the unique vineyard he makes.
Black considers himself lucky that he was able to land a senior winemaking position at the relatively young age of 27 in a young region. Creating his own style, Black trialled various different approaches to winemaking, breaking from tradition.
“Over many years I’ve built a repository of knowledge that I draw upon on a daily basis to continue to finesse my wines,’ said Black.
“Now, with 30 years of experience, and numerous overseas harvests under my belt, I now see the value of tradition and reflect on established and successful brands/producers and the contribution they make to our industry.”
Black noted that the Mornington Peninsula is blessed with a great many outstanding producers all creating wines of exemplary quality across many styles. At Montalto, wines are frequently tested to ensure they are on track. Black said that he is always tinkering with new winemaking techniques.
“Recently, we trialled a technique called Stabulation on our rosé and Pinot Gris wines. In other years we’ve tinkered with variations of carbonic maceration and whole bunch fermentation and even used microwaves as a tool of extraction.”
Over the past 30 years, Black has come to know the wine industry inside and out. He said that it's not all glamour, and that it's a labour of love working long days over long weekends away from family and friends.
“If I can share any advice, it is to be curious and be open to learning.”
