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Tony Jordan (winemaker)

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Anthony Douglas Jordan
OAM
Born(1944-05-28)28 May 1944
Perth, Australia
Died27 August 2019(2019-08-27) (aged 75)
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
Occupation(s)Winemaker, oenologist, wine judge
Years active1974–2019
EmployerLVMH
SpouseMichele Jordan (married 1998)
Children3

Anthony "Tony" Douglas Jordan OAM (28 May 1944 – 27 August 2019) was an Australian winemaker and oenologist.

Jordan developed the oenology program in the 1970s at what is now Charles Sturt University with Brian Croser. With Croser, he later formed the wine consultancy Oenotec, and worked for Moët-Hennessy, establishing and running the wineries around the world, including Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley. In his retirement, he scouted the location for the Ao Yun winery. Throughout his life Jordan was engaged in the Australian wine industry and judged wine competitions.

Jordan was very influential on the Australian wine industry.

Early life and education[edit]

Jordan was born in Perth, Australia on 28 March 1944. He was the first of three children born to Doug and Mary Jordan; he had two younger sisters, Maria, and Frances. Doug was a one of Australia's leading bookmakers.[1][2] His family moved to Melbourne when he was seven, and he attended Caulfield Grammar School where he succeeded academically.[3]

Jordan attended the University of Sydney, attaining first-class honours and completed a PhD in electron spectroscopy in 1970.[3][4][5]

Career[edit]

Domaine Chandon Australia, established by Jordan in 1988

Jordan worked as a researcher at the University of Houston and University College London. After returning to Australia in 1974 he became a patent attorney in Sydney.[3]

In 1974, Jordan became employed as a lecturer in Physical Chemistry and Wine Science at Riverina College, Wagga Wagga, which is now a part of Charles Sturt University. There he received wine education from Don Lester, previously the chief viticulturist at Orlando Wines.[4] After taking a one-year sabbatical at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute with Helmut Becker at Lester's suggestion, he developed the oenology program at Riverina College with Brian Croser.[3][6][7] This program was influential on the modern Australian wine industry.[6] In 1977 Jordan and Croser built a successful winery in the college.[8]

Oenotec[edit]

In 1978, Jordan quit lecturing and joined the wine consultancy Oenotec group Croser had formed.[9] Their plane travel from harvest to harvest led to the term "flying winemaker" being coined, and unusually for the time, they provided hands-on winemaking expertise.[3][10] As they had many clients, it was not feasible to visit them all, and most advice was given over the phone from Piccadilly, South Australia.[11] Their model was to take oenology graduates, and, with some instruction, place them as full-time winemakers with clients.[11] They were perceived as arrogant, and were criticised for making wines that tasted the same.[11][1] It was also speculated they were making excessive profit by selling R2 yeast. This was contested by Croser.[12] They improved production by promoting the exclusion of oxygen from winemaking, and the use of refrigeration and stainless steel.[13] Oenotec was founded in the context of wine production globalizing beyond select European countries.[4] Other consultancy firms were started after them.[11] By 1984, Oenotec had thirty clients, which included Moët-Hennessy who had hired Oenotec on James Halliday's suggestion.[3][4] They advised winemakers of different sizes, including large ones such as Penfolds and Seppeltsfield.[11] By 1987, Jordan bought out Croser to become the sole owner.[4] Jordan sold Oenotec in 1988 to Gary Baldwin.[14] It was later merged into Wine Network Australia in 1993.[15][16]

Moët-Hennessy[edit]

In 1984, Moët-Hennessy tasked Jordan with finding an Australian site for a new upmarket sparkling wine facility called Domaine Chandon on the recommendation of James Halliday,[1] after they had started similar facilities in Argentina and California. Moët-Hennessy were looking to enter Australia to access the Asian wine market, although by 1993 most exports were going to Europe.[17] After an eighteen month search, Jordan selected an old dairy farm called Greenpoint in the Victorian town of Coldstream, in the Yarra Valley, for its climate and soil.[3][6][7][18][19] In November 1985 Jordan was appointed CEO and chief winemaker of Domaine Chandon,[3] and in 1987 became the managing director.[20] The winery was established the next year.[21] Early on, most grapes used by Domaine Chandon were bought from other vineyards.[22] The wine produced in this period, vintage sparkling, was acclaimed.[3][5][23] During the 1990s, Jordan began consulting on international Chandon wineries, which involved stepping away from Domaine Chandon.[4][24] In the mid-1990s he was in charge of exports for Moët-Hennessy, and travelled for three months a year, mainly to England.[25] From 1998 to 2000, he ran the Wirra Wirra winery after a disagreement over Domaine Chandon's strategy, before returning to Domaine Chandon.[1][26] In 2001 he assumed technical and winemaking responsibilities for all global Chandon ventures, including in Argentina, Brazil, California and Spain.[3][5] In 2003 he became CEO of Domaine Chandon Australia, Cape Mentelle, and Cloudy Bay after Moet acquired the latter two.[4][27] In 2004, Domaine Chandon Australia under Jordan became the first up-market sparkling wine producer to use the crown cork to close bottles.[19][28] James Halliday opined in 2007 that Jordan's return to Domaine Chandon improved the product's property.[29]

Ao Yun[edit]

Jordan retired from Domaine Chandon in 2008 and restarted Oenotec, undertaking consulting in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Asia.[30] He was hired in 2008 by LVMH to choose locations for and set up Chandon India (established in 2014 in Maharashtra) and Chandon China (established in 2011 in Ningxia to produce sparkling wines). He was also tasked with finding a location for the 'Ao Yun' label. To find a location, Jordan used soil and weather analysis. If the weather was too cold, as in the north of China, the vines would have to be buried, which impact quality. In the east of China, wine is difficult to grow due to mildew and disease.[31] He selected Deqin County, Yunnan after a trip revealed comparable conditions to Bourdeaux, and he surprisingly found Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines planted in the 1840s by French missionaries.[6][18][32] The Chinese government had previously planted vines there in 1992 or 2002.[33][34] He searched for four years, mostly travelling on foot with weather measuring equipment on his back.[33][35] The first vintage (the 2013) of Ao Yun was released in 2016.[6] As of 2023, wine from Ao Yun was considered by collectors to be the most valuable Chinese wine.[36]

Administration and judging[edit]

Jordan was president of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology from 1990-1991 and was influential in its early development.[37][38] He was president of the Small Wine Makers Forum in 1985.[39] He was president of the Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association from 2008-2010.[40] He chaired the Wine Show Technical Advisory Committee, tasked with assessing best practices for Australian wine competitions,[41] and he was a board member of Wine Australia for six years.[37]

Jordan was an authority on sparkling wine, and worked as a judge at wine competitions in Australia, the UK, South Africa, Hong Kong and New Zealand,[6][42] including the Decanter World Wine Awards. He was one of three judges in the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships alongside Tom Stevenson and Essi Avellan from its inception in 2014 to 2018.[30][43] Jordan was the chairman of the Royal Hobart Wine Show, the Perth Royal Wine Show and the Hong Kong International Wine Competition.[37]

He founded the Spear Gully winery with his wife Michele,[7] and was a part owner and founder of Tolpuddle Vineyard,[44][45] which was planted to supply grapes for Domaine Chandon.[46]

Personal life[edit]

On 29 December 1998 in London, Jordan married his second wife Michele Jordan.[18][30] They had met in May 1992 when she was working at Moët & Chandon in London.[3] Jordan had three children from his first marriage and at his death had six grandchildren.[18][47]

Jordan became interested in wine while attending university.[3] As of 2012, his favourite varieties of wine were Nebbiolo, Shiraz, Bordeaux blends and sparkling.[4] He was against the use of genetically modifying wine, as he believed it would reduce the impact of terroir.[48][49] With Michele, he was interested in gardens, and he planted an arboretum in Hoddles Creek, in the Yarra Valley where he lived.[3] His house contained a small vineyard.[4][50] Jordan became interested in Tibetan culture following trips to South Asia, and he was also interested in walking, golf and chair-making.[18]

Jordan was noted for his bluntness and was affectionately referred to as "The Big Nosed Technocrat" by Len Evans.[1][14]

Jordan died of mesothelioma on 27 August 2019. He was diagnosed in April 2019 after experiencing breathlessness on Easter Saturday.[3][43] Jordan speculated his cancer was caused by asbestos exposure during PhD research in the 1960s.[3]

Legacy[edit]

Jordan was a respected and influential figure in the Australian wine industry, particularly on the production of sparkling wine.[7][43][51] He was a leading Australian oenologist.[18] His influence on the wine industry in Australia has been likened to that of Émile Peynaud in France.[52]

Jordan was awarded the Order of Australia medal in 2013 for his contribution to the Australian wine industry.[6][20] In 2019, he became a fellow of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology.[37] In June 2019 the Australian Grape and Wine Authority awarded him a life membership of the Australian Wine Industry, and Wine Australia established the Dr Tony Jordan OAM Award in his honour, with an annual grant of up to $40,000 to support the study of a PhD scholarship applicant.[40][43] He posthumously received an honorary doctorate from Charles Sturt University in September 2019, having been notified of the honour before his death.[53]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Faith, Nicholas (2002). Liquid Gold: The Story of Australian Wine and Its Makers. Sydney: Pan MacMillan Australia. pp. 87-89. ISBN 9780732911508. OCLC 51550484.
  2. ^ "Doug Jordan At Trots". The Daily News. 14 December 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Stevenson, Tom (December 2019). "Dr Tony Jordan OAM (1944–2019): Goodbye to a dear friend, colleague, and mentor" (PDF). The World of Fine Wine. No. 66. pp. 44–45. Retrieved 12 July 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Byrne, Matt (July–August 2012). "Chemistry is right for Jordan". Wine & Viticulture Journal. 27 (4): 77–78.
  5. ^ a b c Port, Jeni (28 January 2013). "Wine visionary continues to pour in the hard work". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Millar, Rupert (29 August 2019). "Celebrated Australian winemaker Tony Jordan dies". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Vale Dr Tony Jordan OAM". winetitles media. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ Dunstan, David (8 July 1980). "Winemaker looks back on the road to Petaluma". The Age. p. 24. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  9. ^ Hogg, Don (8 July 1990). "Changing the face of winemaking". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 127. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  10. ^ Erlich, Rita, ed. (27 April 1993). "The Flying Wine Doctors". The Age. p. 21. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e Gough, Sarah (15 January 1985). "Growers get vintage help". The Age. p. 20. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  12. ^ Yallop, Richard (5 November 1985). "Whizzkid who pioneered a revolution". The Age. p. 29. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  13. ^ Goode, Jamie (20 August 2017). "The Evolution of Australian wine". Wine Australia. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  14. ^ a b Hooke, Huon (15 March 1988). "Consultant retires". The Age. p. 55. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  15. ^ 2020 Annual Report (PDF) (Report). Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology. 2020. p. 35. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  16. ^ Port, Jeni (8 February 2000). "The wine doctors". The Age. p. 69. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  17. ^ Thomas, Craig (1 March 1993). "Big flow of foreign capital tipped for wine industry". The Age. p. 24. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Tony Jordan, leading figure in the Australian wine industry who developed sparkling wines around the world – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  19. ^ a b Faulkner, Jane (13 February 2007). "Bubbling with enthusiasm". The Age. p. 13.
  20. ^ a b "Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division (F-L)" (PDF). Governor-General of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2017.
  21. ^ Beeston, John (1995). A Concise history of Australian wine (2nd ed.). St Leonards: Allen & Unwin. p. 257. ISBN 9781864480344. OCLC 35262544. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  22. ^ Mackay, Ian (14 March 1989). "Moet et Yarra". The Age. p. 37. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  23. ^ Port, Jeni (17 July 2007). "Down to the line". The Age.
  24. ^ Halliday, James (2 February 2002). "Classics with added sparkle". The Australian. p. 28.
  25. ^ Ritchie, Catherin (22 April 1995). "Get packing". The Age. p. 231. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  26. ^ Hooke, Huon (11 April 2000). "Wirra boss on the move". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 60. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  27. ^ Wild, Dorian (30 April 2004). "Vive l'autonomie!". Australian Financial Review. p. 9. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  28. ^ Styles, Oliver (13 May 2004). "Chandon release sparkling wine under 'beer-bottle top'". Decanter. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  29. ^ Halliday, James (2007). Wine Atlas of Australia. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 94. ISBN 9780520250314. OCLC 70673295.
  30. ^ a b c Siddle, Richard (25 May 2017). "Dr Tony Jordan: why judging sparkling wine is so precise". the-buyer.net. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  31. ^ Feilden, Eloise (13 September 2013). "Is Chinese wine really so New World?". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  32. ^ Ryan, Nick (16 October 2023). "Penfolds in China: On top of the world in Shangri-La". The World of Fine Wine. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  33. ^ a b Reynaud, Stéphane (31 October 2016). "Ao Yun, Le goût de la Chine". Le Figaro. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  34. ^ Allen, Max (23 May 2017). "The best Chinese red wine gets a new benchmark with Moet's Ao Yun". Australian Financial Review. p. 71. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  35. ^ Hay, Colin (23 March 2022). "Ao Yun becomes China's first grand cru release on La Place de Bordeaux". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  36. ^ Olcott, Eleanor (22 August 2023). "The perils of investing in a boutique winery in China". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  37. ^ a b c d "2019 Fellow of the Society - Dr Tony Jordan OAM". Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology. 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  38. ^ Howell, Brooke (1 June 2020). "ASVO: Reflecting on 40 years in operation". Wine & Viticulture Journal. Vol. 35, no. 3. p. 9. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  39. ^ Beeston, John (6 August 1985). "David and Goliath battle it out". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 40. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Australian wine sector recognises and celebrates Dr Tony Jordan OAM's contribution". Wine Australia and Australian Grape and Wine Authority. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  41. ^ Longbottom, Mardi (March–April 2015). "Vineyard longevity – maintaining the asset" (PDF). The Wine & Viticulture Journal. Vol. 30, no. 2. p. 13. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  42. ^ Siddle, Richard (18 January 2018). "CSWWC's search for best sparkling and Champagne". the-buyer.net. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  43. ^ a b c d Hooke, Huon (28 August 2019). "Australian winemaker Tony Jordan dies". Decanter. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  44. ^ Hooke, Huon (16 April 1991). "Bubbles emerging from the deep south". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  45. ^ Smith, Mark (26 September 2021). "Geography vital to Tolpuddle's success". The Examiner. p. 34.
  46. ^ "Wines unveiled at lunches across the country". The Examiner. 3 November 2013. pp. C10.
  47. ^ "Tribute: Dr Anthony Douglas Jordan OAM". The Age. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  48. ^ Port, Jeni (27 September 2011). "Across the grape divide". The Age. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  49. ^ Shanahan, Chris (20 June 2012). "GM for less alcohol". The Canberra Times. p. 14.
  50. ^ Taylor, Colin (2 April 2020). "French provincial style property in Hoddles Creek awaits new chapter". The Weekly Times. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  51. ^ Halliday, James (26 July 2008). "Parade of Taittingers titillates the tastebuds". The Australian (5: Travel ed.). p. 7.
  52. ^ Johnson, Hugh; Halliday, James (1992). The Vintner's Art: How Great Wines Are Made. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 79. ISBN 9780671728885. OCLC 25711354.
  53. ^ "Honorary Doctorate to the late Dr Tony Jordan OAM". winetitles media. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
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