Jeff Byrne came to Australia in 1995 with a backpack, a taste for Caribbean rum and, bizarrely, a love of surfing.
Bizarrely because in his homeland of Canada - he's from Halifax, Nova Scotia - temperatures can regularly plummet to between -10 and -30 Celsius. Average snowfall is more than 150 centimetres a year, which means surfing season is short and not for the faint-hearted.
"Head-to-toe wetsuits," he says.
Which raises the question of how this 21-year-old tourist, on a gap year, went on to become a leading NSW winemaker.
It started with a chance meeting with a young woman in a maxi taxi on the Gold Coast, which led to him marrying fellow passenger Bridgette, whose work eventually took her to the Hunter.
In search of work himself, he picked up a job at Tower Estate cellar door, which led to the winery ... and he's never looked back.
He was clearly talented, because he went on to become chief winemaker of not one, but three Hunter Valley labels - Audrey Wilkinson, Poole's Rock and Cockfighter's Ghost.
Then, with the world seemingly at his grape-stained feet, he made the surprise move to Orange with Bridgette and their three daughters to set up his own label and winery.
Which brings us to Byrne Farm, altitude 900 metres, one of the newer arrivals on the burgeoning Orange wine scene.
"It was 2018 and Bridgette and I were thinking of setting up our own winery. We looked at a few properties in the Hunter but decided on a tree change," he explained in an accent best described as where Canada meets True Blue, not always seamlessly.
"I'd been coming to Orange for work, had got to know the lay of the land and loved the quality of the cool climate fruit it produced, especially chardonnay.
"This property came up in the exact area I'd always admired on the northern slopes of Mount Canobolas. It was a commercial orchard, but I'd always felt it should be covered in vines. So we bought it, started planting pinot noir and built a cellar door and winery."
There's still cherry, apple, fig and peach trees, but importantly a couple of hectares of pinot noir, with more pinot and chardonnay planned.
These days, Byrne Farm produces two pinots - one from his property called the Glenidle Vineyard that shows excellent potential considering the young age of the vines - a very good chardonnay and he's excited by a new Blanc de Blanc he will release shortly.
"It's a 2021," he said. "I tasted it alongside four champagnes to compare, and it stood up well."
He also does a shiraz-pinot blend.
"That's my homage to my time in the Hunter, an old Hunter Burgundy style."
He is convinced pinot noir is where the next big leap in Orange winemaking will occur - "remember, most of the vines in Orange are still less than 30 years old".
Now joined in the winery by eldest daughter Caitlin who is studying winemaking, Byrne Farm is a name to watch.
WINE REVIEWS
DARK DELIGHT
Byrne Farm Glenidle Vineyard
Pinot Noir, 2023
$70
This is the inaugural release of this wine, which is darker and more full-bodied than their other pinot. Considering the young age of the vines, this has loads of oomph. Florals and rose petal nose, there's dark cherry and raspberry flavours with some mushroom and forest notes. As these vines age, there's potential galore here.
TEMPTING WA RED
Singlefile Tempranillo,
2023
$30
This Western Australian red sits very much in the easy-drinking category. Medium-bodied, it has florals and spice on the nose, then a sweep of supple dark fruits that punch above their weight - blackberry, black plum and bitter chocolate. There's a savoury edge to it, and well balanced acid. A good food wine.
QUALITY SPARKLING
Kreglinger Vintage Brut,
2018
$60
You've got to like a Tassie sparkling that's aged in the bottle for six years and is ready to go. A blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, this is a single-vineyard wine from Pipers River, specifically planted for sparkling wine. Red apple, strawberry and citrus, full of bubbly freshness, with toasty brioche lurking in the background. This is quality.
