James Halliday AM Part 3
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James Halliday AM - Part 3
Essential reading: James, part 1 and James, part 2.
In the 1980s, Australian wine was on the ascendancy. The groundwork that had been laid by a new wave of pioneering vignerons in the 60s and 70s was yielding dividends. Exports had quadrupled, and Australian wine was finally getting international attention – for the right reasons. In cool-climate Yarra Valley, a renaissance was underway – thanks to the achievements of Bailey Corrodus at Yarra Yering, John Middleton at Mount Mary, and Guill de Pury at Yeringberg. In 1985, these legendary vignerons were joined by recusant corporate lawyer – and winemaker in search of his Burgundian Holy Grail – James Halliday.
His Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon enjoyed almost immediate success: accolades rained down from the show circuit, and sales were exuberant. In ‘87, when a neighbouring property came on to the market, James didn’t hesitate. But, needing capital to fund the expansion, he chose to list Coldstream Hills on the stock exchange.
Then the 1990s delivered Australia the recession we had to have. It was an eviscerating time for small independent wineries. With interest rates heading north of 20%, Coldstream Hills – in spite of its success – was struggling to service its debt. Then, in 1996, Southcorp (now Treasury Wine Estates) stepped in with an offer... James accepted.
WD: James, that is an extraordinary turn of events.
JH: Well, once you’ve listed, you’re in the public arena, and these things can happen. But it isn’t as if I was out in the cold. I was able to retain this house here, on the Coldstream Hills property, and I became group winemaker for Southcorp. When I think back... I remember my father with his great love for Lindeman’s wines, and if I had said to him – Dad, in 30 years’ time, I'm going to have responsibility for Lindeman’s in the Hunter Valley and Devil’s Lair in Margaret River, as well as Coldstream Hills here in the Valley, he just would’ve looked at me as if I was completely insane. But there it is. It happened.
WD: How long did you remain as group winemaker?
JH: I resigned in 2000, to concentrate on my writing.
Since James’ resignation, winemaking at Coldstream Hills has been in the capable hands of Andrew Fleming and Greg Jarratt (with James remaining close by for consultation!)
WD: Let’s talk about that. When did your writing career begin?
JH: I started doing small amounts of writing for the Wine & Spirit Buying Guide in the late 1960s, and it escalated from there. My first magazine article appeared in The Epicurean in 1970, and later in the 1970s I had a weekly column in The National Times. I was head-hunted by The Australian in the 1980s... actually, there was something of a bidding war between the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, but I was more interested in writing for a paper with national coverage, so I chose The Australian. At that time, Len...
(James’ good friend and mentor, the late, great Len Evans)
JH: ... had the back page, with his column called Indulgence, and for a while, I had part of the inside back page, which I called Overindulgence. Of course, it came to an end when some bright spark realised that they’d given a ridiculous amount of space over to wine.
WD: But you’ve maintained a long relationship with The Australian.
JH: Oh yes, over many years. I have just recently released the 2021 Halliday Top 100 for the Weekend Australian.
WD: You’ve written an awful lot of books too...
JH: I don’t know if awful’s the word.
JH: Was Australian Wine Compendium your first book?
The Australian Wine Compendium was first commissioned in 1984. It led to Halliday’s annual Australian Wine Guide, which in turn became Wine Companion.
JH: Heavens no. My first book was The Wines and History of the Hunter Valley, which I wrote in the 1970s. I’ve written more than 70 books, and have been a major contributor to another dozen or so. For the last 30 years, it’s been two books a year, every year, on average.
WD: But during that time, you had a career as a corporate lawyer... you were an in-demand show judge... a winemaker... you established a vineyard and winery...
WineDown feels the urge for a little snooze just thinking about it all.
WD: ... how is that even possible?
JH: Well, I had the fortunate ability to write things well the first time.
WD: Handy.
JH: It’s a combination of things – I was always a voracious reader as a child, then there’s my training as a lawyer, and of course, travel. I travel business class, because it’s quiet and comfortable, and provides the perfect opportunity to get stuck into work.
WD: Instead of getting stuck into the free booze! Hahaha...! Hello...? James...?
JH: The thing is, that for a book of the magnitude of Halliday Wine Companion, the work never stops. It’s 24/7. As soon as you finish one edition, you’re on the hook for the next. But I always had wonderful assistance from my secretary and PA, Paula, who worked with me for 30 years.
WD: It’s on the record that you’re in your 80s now. Are you taking your foot off the accelerator any time soon?
JH: I already have! I started sharing responsibility a few years ago when I introduced a tasting team, and last year, in 2020, I appointed Tyson Stelzer as editor-in-chief of Halliday Wine Companion. I was happy to pass the baton to him. But I remain on hand as editor-at-large.
WD: Does being eighty-something...
JH: 83...
WD: Does being 83 change the way you taste wine?
JH: Oh it does! Back in the day, when I was playing the Options Game every Monday at Bulletin Place, nine times out of ten I could place a wine – and pick its vintage – in a blind tasting. It’s like being in training. These days, I wear glasses, I wear hearing aids, and it’s fair to say that my sense of smell is not as acute as it once was. But you learn to compensate. I take much longer to assess a wine these days, because I take the time to consider its weight and the texture of the flavours. But I think I’m still pretty much on the money.
WD: So, no change there.
JH: I’ll tell you what else hasn’t changed. My feeling about... my love of... no, visceral love for Coldstream Hills. It’s never changed from the day I had 100% ownership to the day that it went down to 51%, then 37% to the day it was zero. It hasn't affected my love of it at all. And now I have the best of both worlds – I've got my office here on the ground floor of the house... the wine cellar's two steps behind me. And I've got a spectacular view. We're on a very steep slope, so everything just falls away in front of me, and I can see right out over to the other side of the Yarra Valley. And the House Block Chardonnay is my front garden. That’s where my ashes will be sprinkled.
WD: No time soon, I hope!
JH: Well, I’m not getting any younger, and this interview has gone on rather a long time...
WD: Thank you for your time, Mr Halliday.
JH: James.
WD: OK, Mr James. But it still feels weird.
This WineDown is dedicated to the memory of Paula Grey, who passed away suddenly on 12 June 2021.