Nigel Ludlow is envisioning long-term plans of splitting his year between Australia and Jamaica, spent in the company of his Rock-born fiancée Alexcia. But before plans are finalised on exactly where the couple will call home here, the EVOI brand boutique winemaker from Down Under is giving us a quick tutorial on what distinguishes a good vintner. He shares his five wine notes.

1. Quality Grapes

A good winemaker has to get the right grapes. I travelled around the world and I have decided to live in Margaret River. I came from New Zealand which also has pretty awesome grapes, but it was pretty cold for me, so I made a move to Margaret River where the climate and soil are perfect. It’s near a beach so it’s the perfect place to live. The grapes are majestic especially the cabernet, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc semillon.

2. Passion

You don’t just need a winemaker, you need someone who is passionate — it makes good wine. There are a lot of good wines out there right now, but they have no soul. So I think passion creates soul within the wine and it gives you a story in a bottle.

3. Having ‘Grounding’ is a necessity

There are some pretend winemakers out there who could certainly do with needed grounding. You need to know the basic steps of winemaking of which some people are lacking. Winemaking is a blend of viticulture, science, and art which is where the passion comes in. You have to know how to blend the science and the art together.

4. Tastings by the Winemaker

You can’t just blend things together; the tasting is very important. Even a good winemaker can fall down if he doesn’t have a good palate. It can be strange but I believe you can be born with a good palate as well; but training is a big part of it. I spent a significant amount of time training.

5. A Support System

Support for a winemaker is important and by that I don’t mean financial, but rather mental and social support. I started EVOI on my own and did it for so long, but having the support of my fiancée who helps in the business is priceless. I was the winewaker, marketer and the whole kit and caboodle, but having her also helps my business as she brings a different set of skills.