rob moody

PART 1

The young unfulfilled maths teacher, Rob Moody, realised he was actually quite enjoying the wine that his beloved father in law, Bob Cheek, was sharing with him at the dinner table.

Not having been brought up with wine, Rob was surprised at his aptitude for tasting. He quickly saw a fast way out of teaching, asked Max Schubert, father of Grange, if Penfolds could please put him through winemaking college. Rob thought perhaps he could just work in the lab between assignments. Ridiculous. So much so that it worked. Max was so taken aback that he just quietly said yes. 

Max went on to put Rob in charge of the Grange. Indeed Rob was head of the red ferments in 1971, which is known to be the best wine in the entire world of that decade. This clashed somewhat with the birth of his first child, Emma, during that vintage but he managed to keep an eye on both.

PART 2

Then Rob won the role of Wynns Chief Winemaker!

 He and his team developed the famous John Riddoch label alongside viticulturalist Vic Patrick in 1982.

This was a breakthrough. Vic managed to get the fruit to such ripeness, and it was such a wonderful vintage anyway, that it changed the Wynns winemaking style forever.

 They decided to pick up a prize for it in the House of Commons later that decade.

 Rob very happily remained at Wynns until a Penfolds takeover, and he was home again!

 You will have heard of many wines that Rob was responsible for - and breezily helped to make famous - as part of the Penfolds and Wynns groups: Penfolds Grange, Bin 707, Bin 389, St Henri, Rouge Homme, Tulloch, Hungerford Hill and Leo Buring. 

PART 3

In 2001 he began making Somerled.

Private clients had requested a McLaren Vale Shiraz … but then Rob wondered what it would be like to just make his own Adelaide Hills Chardonnay under the label too. I mean, isn’t the Hills made for Chardonnay?

 But isn’t the Hills also made for French-style sparkling? Wonderful, let’s add one of those too.

 The tiny Somerled brand slowly but surely grew, through exports and other distribution, until the family decided that it was something that needed to be hand sold here, back home in the Hills. So Rob and family found themselves right here.

Hopefully while you are here you may spy this gentle soul at the bar. He is widely respected in the industry, patient, curious, traditional yet original, and has a lovely but dry (watch out!) sense of humour. He is loved dearly.