Chasing balance: Why Darryl Catlin decided to step down from big-name wineries and focus on his own brand

Darryl Catlin launched Catlin Wines back in 2013, but it’s only over the past few years that he’s been able to give it proper attention.

Picking grapes and pruning vines for pocket money as a kid growing up in the Barossa was the foundation for his career, which has spanned wine bottling, packaging, retail and winemaking. 

From 1999 to the end of ’12, Darryl worked at Shaw + Smith, rapidly progressing from cellar hand to chief winemaker. Then, in early ’14, after a brief interlude in which he started both his consultancy business and his eponymous label, he became chief winemaker at Sidewood Estate. 

Darryl Catlin.

The turning point for Darryl came after a particularly large and hectic vintage in 2021. “It hit me that I was continuing to work at the same pace for someone else for the second time,” he says. “I went, ‘I can't keep doing this for other people, I need to concentrate on my own little brand'.” 

Since stepping back into a consultancy role at Sidewood, Catlin Wines has exploded. There are 18 wines in the current release – “way too many!” – made mostly from Adelaide Hills fruit, with a focus on varieties the region does best. 

Darryl’s winemaking philosophy is to “watch the season”. Among other things, this means only using whole-bunches when the stalks are good enough, and only allowing chardonnay to go through malo when the acid is too harsh. “I listen to what the grapes are telling us,” he says, although he aims to be “as hands-off as possible with as little additions as possible, to let the fruit shine through”. The result is a range of refined yet highly drinkable and delicious wines, with freshness and affordability at the fore.

Catlin's urban cellar door in Adelaide, Catlin on Magill.

Another crucial part of the evolution was the urban cellar door he set up in an old warehouse in Adelaide. With comfortable couches and a pool table, Catlin on Magill, as it's called, is a relaxed, family (and dog!) friendly affair. Like the wines, it's an extension of the label's ethos – a reflection of what, how and where we like to drink these days.

Today, Darryl has finally been able to find the sweet spot between winemaking, managing the cellar door, distribution, and a couple of consultancies. “I’ve dedicated my life to making sure other people are successful,” he says. “Now I want to find the right balance between everything and just enjoy life.” 

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