Name: Gary Mills
Winery: Jamsheed
Town/Country: Melbourne Victoria
Which spot in your vineyard is the most special and why?
I don’t own any of my own vineyards and instead have long-term relationships with my growers. Standing in the middle of the Garden Gully vineyard, planted sometime in the late 1800’s, and looking at a treasured piece of Australian viticultural history makes me feel very humble and proud to be able to continue that story.
If you link the dots in your life, which experience was the most crucial relating to how you make your wine today?
A five-week internship with Ridge Vineyards in Santa Cruz, USA that turned into a 2 year full-time position. Paul Draper taught me pretty much everything I know about winemaking.
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to when making wine in your cellar?
A mix of indy garage punk, country and soul.
Name a regional dish from your area, which matches best with one of your wines.
Black Berkshire Pork chops and Beechworth Syrah
Name a restaurant from your recent travels around the world, which changed the way you thought about food and why?
Giro Giro, Kyoto Japan. Incredible deconstructed interpretation of traditional Japanese Kaiseki. Brilliant, thoughtful food in a superb atmosphere. Just make sure you take a lot of cash – don’t get stuck with your credit card like I did.
If your wine would die, who or what would it come back as (person/animal)?
Elvis!
