Sarah Crowe wins Halliday’s ‘Winemaker of the Year’

Yarra Yering’s winemaker, Sarah Crowe has been crowned Winemaker of the Year at James Halliday’s annual Wine Companion Awards.

Crowe is also the first woman to ever receive this award, with six of her Yarra Yering vintage reds scooping top point of 99 and 98 points.

She joined Yarra Yering in the Yering Valley three years ago after spending 12 years working in the Hunter Valley and credits Yarra Yerring’s founder Dr Bailey Carrodus for creating a “legacy” of fine wine.

“I simply want to make wines which are true to the integrity of the fruit I have to work with,” she said.

“And the fruit is exceptional. With the advances in the scientific understanding of winemaking we have today, I can only improve on the original vision and legacy created by Dr Carrodus.”

Halliday praised her 2015 Light Dry Red Pinot Noir Shiraz blend, hailing it as a “marriage made in heaven.”

“She has done a fabulous job with what was her first full vintage,” he said. “Just an amazing, amazing job.

“And made a wine I always thought was impossible – a Shiraz Pinot Noir in the Yarra Valley. She was the very first to do it and it’s just a beautiful wine.

She has made red wines of the highest imaginable quality from her first vintage, and to the delight of many, myself included, has offered all the wines with screwcaps.

“For good measure, she introduced the 2015 Light Dry Red Pinot Shiraz as a foretaste of the 2015 vintage, and an affirmation of the exceptional talent recognised by her Winemaker of the Year in the 2017 Wine Companion.”