Everyone with even a passing interest in wine knows of James Halliday’s legacy: lawyer turned wine writer, judge and winemaker; founder of the Hunter’s Brokenwood and Coldstream Hills in the Yarra; unrivalled champion of Australian wine and author of the seminal guide to it, the Halliday Wine Companion; founding tutor of the Len Evans Tutorial (and protégé and successor of its namesake) and co-architect of the infamous Single Bottle Club dinners, among other things. His palate is as legendary as his eyebrows, his work ethic even more so.
Everyone who knows James personally speaks of his generosity – with both his time and his wine. I first met him in 2015 while filming an episode of MasterChef at Coldstream Hills. As we were wrapping, he came over to introduce himself with a bottle of the winery’s 2013 Reserve Pinot Noir. Like mine, so many stories involve bottles shared or gifted, many from James’ personal cellar. Even the owner of my local wine shop told me that he was once paid in 1974 Château Latour to help James with his computer. Other stories show how generous James has been with his time, always sharing, teaching, helping anyone who needed or asked for it. I feel extremely lucky to have worked with James over the past few years, and judging by the messages we’ve received, I’m not alone. Enjoy your retirement, James. You’ve earned it.
Erin Larkin
Robert Parker Wine Advocate (and former Halliday Tasting Team member)James and I were standing in front of 200 wine lovers at a tasting, presenting our thoughts on the opening bracket. The wines had been served blind. I, the beginner, he the master. Of one wine I commented that I liked it very much; I thought it was Italian, and was particularly fond of the tannins. There was an extended pause, scattered with nervous laughter about the room (I imagine he was furrowing his brow, I daren’t glance at him at the time), and James said to me over the microphone, "Erin, if you like that wine, you can buy it with your own money, and drink it, alone. Next wine." Uproar. And we moved on. I penned him a note afterwards. I said that I was very grateful for the opportunity to have tasted with him, and that I enjoyed it very much, although I did feel silly for not guessing that he may not have shared my fondness for that particular wine. He replied – an email I have kept, and will always keep – and said, "Nonsense. The world is your oyster. Keep going." It was a small, precious, moment – perhaps forgotten by him – but an important one to me. The world is your oyster. Keep going.
Sam Middleton
Winemaker, Mount MaryJames had just tasted the 2017 Mount Mary vintage wines, and he called me up to mention he quite enjoyed the pinot and, if possible, he would like a couple of bottles for his cellar. He suggested we do a swap and he asked me what I’d like in return. I told him I’d be only too happy for him to decide what was fair and reasonable. The phone went silent for a second, and then I heard a “Mmmmmmm, sneaky aren’t you...” come back down the line. Feeling quite chuffed with myself about how I’d played this one, I sat and waited. The next week, two bottles arrived at the winery: A 2001 Rousseau Clos de la Roche, and a 2010 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton. I think we faired pretty well in the trade. James’ generosity and eagerness to share great wines with others remains unmatched. His contribution to the Australian wine industry will unlikely be surpassed. Congratulations and thank you James from everyone here at Mount Mary.
Allister Ashmead
Managing director, EldertonJames Halliday published a piece in The Australian that I had written about Elderton when I was eight or nine – 40 years ago! It was littered with spelling errors, and spoke mainly of how much fun kids could have! James has always been the most amazing advocate for Australian wine, and has always been very kind to our family.
Iain Riggs
Director, BrokenwoodWhere to start? Although James decided to sell his Brokenwood shareholding in 1983, he has been a constant in my life for over 40 years. Apart from Brokenwood, there’s been wine shows, media events, great dinners, and of course, the Len Evans Tutorial. Some stories can’t be told – his colourful language watching a rugby test at Lehmann’s in the Barossa during the 1st Shiraz Alliance, for instance. Or the look James gave [Brian] Croser on the first day of the Adelaide Wine Show in the early ’90s when Brian told him he had 200 young shiraz that day. Instead, I enclose a picture from 2015, the Shanghai International Wine Challenge, where I was Chair, and James launched his Companion for the first time in Mandarin. Such was the attention he garnered I took on the role of security.
Geoff Krieger
CEO, BrokenwoodAs you are no doubt aware, James was one of the triumvirate (with John Beeston and Tony Albert) that founded Brokenwood in 1970. During Brokenwood’s 40th year celebrations, James came to the winery to take charge of a tasting of every wine Brokenwood had produced. While proceedings were underway, James told me that the Brokenwood label had been conceived by him after a suitably long lunch at Len Evans’ Bulletin Place. He advised me that he had drawn the label with his own fountain pen, in his own hand and that if I ever had the temerity to think about changing the label that he would “hunt me down, find me and hang me by my testicles”. The Brokenwood label remains unchanged after 54 years in business.
Max Allen
Wine writer and authorIt’s the middle of vintage 1993 at Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley. I’d been working here every weekend for a few months in cellar door and now I was also helping with harvest (my back still aches from picking pinot off the steepest block in front of the winery), and with James’ punishing tasting schedule, opening countless hundreds of bottles and then transcribing hundreds of James’ longhand notes (I’ll never forget his terse dismissal of one winemaker – “neither a hope nor a clue” – an assessment that, not surprisingly, never made it to print). I’ll also never forget being given the task of opening countless bottles of remarkable wine dragged from James’ cellar each day to share with the vintage crew over dinner. Ancient Vouvrays, venerable clarets, old Australian classics from the Hunter. Even a lazy La Tâche or two. The spirit was one of supportive generosity, a shared love of great wine, of communal learning.
James was equally supportive and generous when I started writing my own books: his glowing praise for my first, Red and White, wine made simple, undoubtedly helped make it a success (it didn’t hurt that the designer splashed the choicest bits of James’ endorsement across the back cover in 48-point). And he has continued to be helpful ever since, whether it’s supporting subsequent books, sharing historical knowledge, or taking part in masterclasses and tastings. I know I’m far from alone in owing him a huge thank you.
Nick Ryan
Wine writer and columnistI started working in wine at Five Way Cellars back in the '90s. One of the mild responsibilities I was given was to open the shop on a Saturday morning. Sometimes I even did it within advertised hours. The first task on a Saturday was to buy The Weekend Australian, pull out the Magazine, and turn straight to James Halliday’s column to see what he had written up. If we had the wine in stock, I would dig it out and display it prominently. If we didn’t, I’d be on the phone to winemakers ordering some, because for the rest of that day, and into the Sunday too, customers would come in clutching the magazine and wanting to buy what James had endorsed. It was my first exposure to the powerful purpose of great wine writing and it put me on a path that I’ve followed ever since. That I’ve been able forge a career as a wine writer is because James showed it could be a career in the first place. He made his column the most important real estate in Australian wine writing through his daunting work ethic, his peerless perspective on the world of wine and a love for his subject that has never dimmed. Over the last few months a lot of people have congratulated me on ‘replacing’ James Halliday at The Australian and my response is always the same. “You don’t replace the irreplaceable.” What you actually do is work twice as hard to do it half as well as he did.
Jancis Robinson
Wine critic, writer and authorI view James, whom I’ve known for decades, as the only wine writer I know who works harder than me. I also know him as extremely generous with both his knowledge and cellar.
Natillie Johnston
Winemaker, Tillie JI met James during harvest at Coldstream Hills in 2012. He was such a friendly face around the winery and was always happy to share his encyclopaedic knowledge of wine with me at the end of a long shift. He gave relevance to what we were doing and broadened my palate for wine exponentially as a junior starting out on this path. Interactions with James were foundational for initiating the passion I have for making my own wines today. The bottle of 1990 Domaine de Courcel Premier Cru Pommard he opened as a birth year wine at the end of vintage party still takes pride of place on the shelf at home and is a such a special souvenir from a moment in time spent with a true legend of the wine world.
Kaspar Hermann
Winemaker, Onannon...what a guy, what a legacy, what a tireless contribution he has made not only to Australian but to the world of wine. A favourite memory is his annual Good Friday breakfast at Coldstream Hills. You’d arrive with your bottle of Champagne to share and there’s James himself on the tools, whipping up his infamous scrambled eggs loaded with cream and caviar! And man, were they delicious! His hospitable and kind nature with a genuine keenness to share has always been so impressive. Working that vintage back in 2006 at Coldstream Hills with James scribing away in his loft office above the winery is also pretty cool, looking back on it now! There’s this icon of the wine world just getting on with it, working his way through millions of samples from hopeful winemakers seeking his appraisal while the hustle and bustle of another harvest is going on around him... Wild! But also, so cool! There will only be one James Halliday!
Marc Lunt
Owner, Terrason WinesI think the main thing with James is that he loves the industry like nobody else. I remember him wandering into the cellar at Coldstream Hills after a Dom Perignon tasting. It was 2am, he just wanted to say hello and see how things were going. His end of vintage dinners were legendary, as were his Good Friday Champagne breakfasts. However, when I first worked at Domaine Armand Rousseau, I was having lunch with Charles Rousseau one afternoon and remember him saying that he only knew of one Australian winemaker, and that of course was James. To be recognised by one of the greatest Burgundian winemakers pretty much sums James up. He flies the flag like nobody else.
Amelia Ball
Former Editorial Director, Halliday Wine CompanionPresenting anything to James Halliday isn’t something you do lightly, but especially when it’s the plan for a magazine that will carry his name. That was our daunting experience back in 2011 when we ran through the details of this publication – then just a big idea – with James sitting across the boardroom table. That was my first meeting with him, and he seemed so intimidating at the time, but I also came out of it thinking how encouraging he’d been. Little did I know we’d end up working so closely together and he’d become one of my favourite people. It’s impossible to sum up James’ influence on the industry and beyond, but people still tell me about their love for his work and how he kick-started their passion for wine, which is an incredible legacy. All I know is I’m ridiculously privileged to have benefited from James being so generous with me over the years – with his time, knowledge and experience. It’s typical that he’s only retiring now, and, still, that’s so he can focus on writing another book. But that’s James, and we’re all the better for it.
Martin Siebert
Winemaker, First Foot ForwardI was one of about six vintage cellar hands working at Coldstream Hills in 2010. At the end of the day, we would gather on the picnic tables and take turns pouring a mystery wine for the others to identify. The pourer would provide a short list of options, from countries, to regions, grape variety, vintage, all the way to the producer. It was great fun and exposed us to many different wines. In retrospect, the scope of the wine selections tended to be quite limited, reflecting our exposure to the wider world of wine. They were typically Australian wines made from one of the five main varieties and the vintage was generally the current vintage the local bottle shop was selling. “Is this wine from 2007, 2008 or 2009?”
James Halliday, a veteran of the wine options game, was often seen at Coldstream Hills diligently reviewing endless bottles of wines for his Wine Companion. We invited James to join us one evening and, to our excitement, he agreed. A few days later, James walked over with a beautiful wicker wine basket full of covered wines. It wasn’t long before he started pouring a deep golden coloured wine (can wine be this colour?), before asking: “Is this wine from the 1930s, the 1940s or the 1950s?” We were stunned, wide eyed and grinning. James had taken the options game to the next level and beyond. The wine was eventually revealed as a Vouvray from the 1930s and it was like nothing we had ever tasted. The Vouvray was followed by a pinot shiraz blend he made in the 1980s while in the Hunter Valley. James has shown his generosity when sharing the wines from his vast cellar. He shares his immense wine knowledge and has encouraged generations of winemakers to explore the wider wine world and in doing so, has improved Australian wine. Thanks James. Let’s raise a glass to your enormous contribution to the Australian wine industry.
Paul Turale
GM marketing, Wine AustraliaI was fortunate to meet James in the early 1990s, soon after joining Australia’s wine community. As a newcomer and unsure of what to expect from an established industry icon, I was immediately struck by James’ lack of pretence, quick wit and friendly nature. Subsequent meetings have only reaffirmed my initial observations. James has likely introduced more drinkers to the breadth of Australian wine than any other person in history. His style is as easily consumed as our great wines and has encouraged many wine drinkers to get out and explore for themselves the wines that are made around the country. On behalf of Wine Australia, I’d also like to acknowledge the great service that James has provided to nurture and build our country’s wine credentials, both here in Australia and around the world. He has been a tremendous ambassador for Australian wine and we thank James for all that he has given to our community. I look forward to reading James’ ‘swansong’ project, detailing 50 years of great wine dinners he has either attended or staged. Getting it down to 50 will be a challenge and I wish him many more in the years to come.
Brett Hayes
Owner, Hayes Family WinesI have been fortunate to have met James a number of times, but the time that I remember most fondly was at a lunch on the Mornington Peninsula. I had purchased the lunch at the Mornington Pinot Festival the year prior. I had invited four friends, not wine people, but great friends. One of them learnt more about wine in that lunch then he had in the many years prior. Despite the many questions, a number very basic, James engaged and encouraged him through conversations. He was never condescending, there was no question too basic, no showboating, just engaged chatter that changed his interest in wine, and my approach to wine as an observer. When I serve wine, make wine and engage my customers with wine I take a lot from that lunch. Wine is about learning, drinking, sharing, not about showboating or belittling. A lot of people could have learnt a lot from James that day. I was fortunate and have benefited greatly. No matter how knowledgeable you may be, you still have responsibility to engage and promote wine. He is a great man, an extraordinarily humble man. A man that I and our industry will forever be in debt. I am very thankful to have met him.
Matthew Di Sciascio
Winemaker, Santa & D’SasI have several great memories of James but two of my fondest memories are from his time as Chief Judge at the Geelong Wine Show. The first was in 2004. I was stewarding but got to have a go as an associate judge, judging the Pinot Noir class alongside James, Stuart Anderson and Christian Maier. While they were all very generous with their time and thoughts, James said something that has stayed with me throughout my career. At the time, I was in my final year of wine science (which was while ago so I will paraphrase him), and after I got one wine completely wrong, he said: “Typical wine science student, too focused on the faults. My approach is to treat every glass in front of me as if it were worth a gold medal and work backwards from there. Optimism is the key to good wine show judging”. I have never ever seen anyone get more excited to taste a wine than James Halliday. The next great experience was in 2008. I was on the show committee by that stage and one of the local judges that year, Randall Pollard, decided to host the ‘Judges Dinner’ at his home. Being quite junior in the hierarchy of those present, I was tasked with pouring the '96 Krug that James had brought along as the opening wine for the night. I carefully poured James’ glass first and then the others. But alas, I misjudged, and the bottle ran out just as I got to the final glass – mine. James quickly gave me his, saying: “This is one of the very greatest wines in the world, but I’ve had it many times – I insist that you take my glass”. It was a remarkable gesture and really encapsulates what I have now experienced many times with others in our wonderful industry. In the end we quickly negotiated a half glass each and so started one of the greatest wine dinners I have ever had. Cheers to James.
Owen Inglis
Owner, Sidewood EstateJames visited Sidewood in 2016. None of our team had met him for more than a couple of minutes and while we had, of course, had many reviewers and wine experts through the gates, we were all pretty astonished at how down pat he had our playbook – what we were doing in the vineyards, how we were fermenting, and so on. He was in a different league to the scribes who had visited us in the past. While he enjoyed all our wines, it made my day when he said, with a big smile, that he might even put our sauvignon blanc in his cellar, and that it could well be the only one. Once the work of the day was finished, we had a lazy lunch over Sidewood chardonnay and pinots. A bottle of 2008 Richbourg from my collection snuck its way in, which was enjoyed by all but not as much as the company was. James’ visit had a marked effect on all of us. He gave us confidence in our winemaking and where we were heading. We certainly hope he will come and visit us again in his retirement. His is the greatest of all names in the Australian wine industry. A living legend whose retirement is a loss to all of us who aspire to make fine wines and want to be judged by a gentleman with a remarkable palate and of such impeccable regard.
John Lehmann
Managing director, The Australian; and Cellar Director, The Australian Wine ClubWhen James Halliday started writing his weekly column in The Australian in 1984, wine drinkers were being asked to choose between local whites labelled as 'Rhine riesling' or 'Moselle' and our shiraz was still being marketed as 'Hermitage' after the French appellation. So much has changed in 40 years – and Halliday has been there for every sip. As label laws were altered in the 1990s to drop the misleading European regions, instead introducing our own terroir and wine styles, the big man of Australian wine was our guide, educating our palates, shaping tastes and trends through his precisely chosen words and encouraging us to better understand what we were actually drinking. His columns were tacked up on bottleshop windows to direct us; and his annual Wine Companion became the Bible of every self-respecting wine enthusiast.
But Halliday was far more than our guide – he was a full-blown participant in this quickly rising wine scene. Apart from writing more than 40 books, he imported wines, planted vineyards, made wines and judged at every major Australian wine show. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to James regularly this year as he mulled over his impending retirement. Three things were obvious to me. The achievements he holds dearest are his founding of two wineries that remain colossal stars today: Brokenwood in 1970 in the Hunter and Coldstream Hills in the Yarra in 1985. Secondly, his fondest moments uniformly involve Burgundy and the legendary Single Bottle Club lunches and dinners with his irrepressible mentor, the late and beloved Len Evans. And finally, that driving this incomparable wine life is a formidable intellect and curiosity constantly striving to learn more. Halliday was the high-flying corporate lawyer who gave it all away for what he once described as his wine “mistress”. Thanks to him, it was legions of Australians like me who ended up falling in love with this magical thing called wine.
Sandy Grant
Chief Executive, Hardie GrantI am not the right person to detail James’ extraordinary role as winemaker, wine judge, wine taster or as a mentor and influencer for the industry. I know him as a writer, author and communicator, and business partner. In 2004, James approached Hardie Grant because he was determined to publish a new edition of the Wine Atlas of Australia. His publisher, News Ltd, did not want to do a large format book – they thought it should be sized to fit in a glove box and be used as a field guide. James knew otherwise. I did too, having been involved in publishing Hugh Johnson’s Wine Atlas of the World over a few editions. We had a company that had cartographic skills and it was through this lens that James thought we could be a suitable partner. The book was a huge success, and this started a conversation about the future of his much-loved Companion.
After much consideration, James left News Ltd to bring the Companion to Hardie Grant – not as a simple change of publisher. The years that followed were a privilege. His knowledge of the industry and his readers made our job very easy. His editing is legendary. He is committed to a standard of grammar and clarity that makes his notes and the notes of others he edits impeccable. A huge part of his success as a communicator is his skill as a writer and editor. Wine writing is often mocked but James’ writing is so tight, so precise and so succinct that it is an art form in its own right. James’ intolerance of poor writing and fury at precious writing was not negotiable.
As a business partner, James was trusting, supportive and practical. In every way he was a decent, sincere and good partner. His first love was the printed guide – he was so excited when he found out we could print red ink in the book to show ‘Red’ status better. He had been a pioneer in online wine with Winepros, launched with News Ltd and Len Evans. When the dotcom bubble burst, Winepros burst with it. He helped but never fully embraced our less ambitious Wine Companion online. When we held the first Halliday Wine Awards, I have never seen him as animated and happy. Bringing his work to life and bringing the industry together was a symbolic triumph that clearly gave him great satisfaction. James has helped transition the Companion into the next generation over the last four or five years. He wanted writers who could write like him, people with palates as sophisticated as his own and people as committed to wine as he has been. A tall order – he is unique.
Alister Purbrick
Director, TahbilkI would like to congratulate James, on behalf of the entire Australian wine industry, Tahbilk, and my family, on his recently announced retirement or at least retirement from the normal hurly burly of wine writing to writing about whatever he would like, including no doubt, his life and times in our industry and the wonderful great wines that he’s enjoyed over the journey as well as the characters that attended these lunches and dinners. James should be well pleased with the extremely positive impact that he’s had on our industry and, in earlier times, his guidance to our industry and many winemakers within it, which has been really appreciated by so many.
He is so respected globally by wine consumers and his peers and, to my mind, ranks in the top echelon of wine writers of his era which spans over 50 years. I also thank James for his friendship and support over my entire time in the industry. So many fond memories, so many shared dinners, so many good times and so many laughs... all of which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated... particularly when we worked side by side as members of industry boards and/or committees. My family, from Eric, John and now our current generation, also hold James in very high regard for all that he has achieved and, to reflect that respect, recently bestowed on him the honour of naming a cellar at Tahbilk in his name. Only one other non-family wine industry identity has achieved this honour being the late but great Len Evans. James absolutely deserves good health, happiness and success in the next chapter of his life and can take comfort with the fact that he’s one of, if not, the most respected and influential wine commentator of the modern era.
Martin Spedding
Owner, Ten Minutes by TractorJames has been the epicentre of the Australian wine industry for over 40 years. His infectious enthusiasm for wine, his writing and storytelling were instrumental in me entering the wine industry over 20 years ago. His contribution to our industry is unparalleled, a true champion of Australian fine wine. On a personal note, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time with James, tasting wine, sharing stories, and reflecting on the history and progress of our industry. He will be sorely missed, but his writings will continue to be an incredible resource for each new generation of winemakers for decades to come
Prue and Stephen Henschke
Owners, HenschkeWe have known James Halliday since our post-university days when we worked a vintage in the Hunter Valley in 1974. These were the early days at Len Evans’ Rothbury Estate where we were vintage casuals. Just down the road was a new winery, Brokenwood, being established with James as part of the team. James has always been very personable and supportive of us as we built on the historic values and quality of Stephen’s father’s old-vine single-vineyard wines over the past 40+ years. Furthermore, he has maintained an interest in my work in the Henschke vineyards, where I have focused on improving grape and wine quality through different styles of trellis management and later pioneering the use of straw mulches and composts under vine, planting local insect-friendly native flowering plants and native grasses in order to build healthy vineyards. James would laughingly say: “She was doing regenerative viticulture before the word was invented!”
His excitement and support have been apparent as we celebrated 50 years of Mount Edelstone Shiraz with the 2002 vintage release and again at 60 years with the 2012 vintage, as well as 50 years of Hill of Grace Shiraz with the 2008 vintage and later at 60 years with the 2018 vintage. He seemed as proud of our milestones as we were! It was a joy for us to have James attend our 150th anniversary celebration of Henschke family winemaking in 2018, especially the wine tasting where he brought a sense of grandeur and wonderment when discussing the decades of our wines. He has been a wonderful friend and a great confidant during our family winemaking journey. We congratulate James on his retirement and wish him the best of luck with his next endeavour.
Ned Goodwin MW
Former Halliday Tasting Team memberJames and I clashed from time to time. Yet despite a grimace, there was always a smile to follow. I was fresh from larger markets and back on these shores, things felt insular. Yet despite my occasional misgiving about this and that and the state of play, there were never hard feeling. Opinions were respected, now peppered with the diplomacy of time. I first met James at the Len Evans Tutorial 2012. While I was ultimately anointed dux, I had no idea it was a competitive exercise until I sat down at the first session: a slew of syrah. I think I identified a Côte-Rötie and a Hermitage amidst a battery of cooler climate Aussie. I had just passed the MW and in Japan where I lived then, one crossed paths with quality Rhône regularly. James raised his eyebrows at my notes, beamed recognition and despite our differences, we became mates. I had read so much of his work and held him in such high regard, that I immediately felt blessed and like I was destined to return to Australia.
Shaun Crinion
Winemaker, DappledJames Halliday will be, and always has been, intertwined in everything to do with Australian wine. He’s been a constant in my wine life, from using his Companion to research and secure the first vintage jobs of my career, to shining a light on my humble wines and introducing them to Australia’s wine consumers (he wrote, and buyers listened!). No matter how far you go in the wine world everyone has heard of or knows James. I have a very fond memory from 2010; I was doing a vintage in France and was asked by Aubert de Villaine of the famous Domaine Romanée-Conti, “Did I know his good friend James Halliday?” Knowing I lived in the Yarra Valley, Mr de Villaine could not sing his praises high enough and said I must meet him one day. I was fortunate to on a few occasions. To quote Campbell Mattinson: “No one has given more to Australian wine...No one.”
