Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1787
Y ears ago, someone asked me what Wolf Blass looked like. "You'll know him when you see him," I replied. Indeed, the minute he entered the room there was no doubt this was the Baron of the Barossa, and it wasn't just his trademark bow tie or mesmerizing German-Australian accent. He spoke with the confi- dence of a self-made man, exhibited the flamboyance of a skilled marketer and demonstrated the knowledge of an award-winning winemaker. He is, in fact, all of these. More than just a name on a label, Wolf Blass is a per- sonification of the wines he makes. Born in eastern Germany on September 2, 1934, Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass possesses the classic Virgo penchant for details and a preoccupation with perfec- tion, characteristics that have become hallmarks of his success. Fleeing to West Germany from post-war famine and rubble, he eventually held a succession of jobs in vi- ticulture and winemaking in Europe and England, until in 1961, at the age of 27, he wound up in South Austra- lia's Barossa Valley with a three-year contract making sparkling wines. Wolf never left. Vintage Wolf Blass Milestone "We're celebrating my birthday all over Australia. I just came back from Canada after having parties from Halifax to British Columbia. Next I go to Singa- pore, Malaysia and the Philippines. But on my actual birthday, September 2nd, I won't have a party!" On the eve of his 75th birthday, this veteran Aussie winemaker is celebrating worldwide by Richard Carleton Hacker 76 / the tasting panel / august 2009