From the moment I can remember, the dining room table, our holidays, even our backyard revolved around wine, vineyard and winemaking. The first official part of the journey started as a cellar rat at the age of nine with the first pay cheque! Many vintages followed.
Every winemakers dream is to grow and make their own wine. Philip’s was no different. The search for a vineyard site took our family on a journey around Australia and ended on the high slopes of Mt Canobolas, Orange. And the transformation of the old sheep paddocks into Koomooloo vineyard (1988).
10 years spent in the corporate world, laid the foundations with general management, sales and marketing experience. And the next step back to the wine industry. In 2003, Philip and I joined together to build Philip Shaw Wines. Launching at the first vintage in August 2005.
Since then we have moved the winery from the old shed at the cool stores to our own site, the Cellar Door out of Mum & Dads house and we now sell our wines across Australia and 12 International markets.
We have built a great team of humans and I look forward to continuing this journey for many vintages to come.
Daniel Shaw - Winemaker
I've loved being a part of the wine industry for my whole life. I grew up in the Hunter Valley, during a boom time in the Australian Wine Industry where I was witness to the growth and expansion of a local family run winery. I've also had the privilege to work as both a Red Winemaker in California and Group Winemaker in New Zealand for two large and highly successful wine businesses.
During my university years I was able to travel the world gaining valuable work experience. I worked in Cellars in Burgundy, Montipulciano, Chianti as well as here in Australia, in Margaret River, McLaren Vale and The Yarra Valley.
After many years of working abroad I was ready to return to Australia and specifically the Orange Region where I had spent many years planting my family’s vineyard with my dad. With years of experience in large corporate wineries I was so keen to return to a small intimate setting where I could be a part of all aspects of winemaking.
My time is now occupied with trying to gain a deeper understanding of the place where we grow our grapes. We are moving to a farming system that employs organic principles and encourages a union with the natural environment. I believe this is how we can truly express our site and create the wine styles that express who we are and where we are from.
Philip Shaw
I was drawn to winemaking from a young age at 12 years old (the year 1959) after visiting Roseworthy with my school.
I started washing bottles at Penfolds at Magill and by 16 I was looking after the vintage cellar at Wynns Magill before going to Roseworthy to study agriculture and Oeneology (winemaking). My first role as a winemaker was at Lindemans at Corowa where I stayed for 12 years, I then moved to the Hunter Valley as the Head Winemaker for Rosemount. And then from their running the winemaking for Southcorp Wines (Penfolds, Lindemans, Wynns, Rosemount)
I’d always wanted to find a place where I could grow cool climate wines and I was drawn to Orange for it’s unique position in Australian viticulture – high altitude, cool continental climate and rich volcanic soils. I planted 47 hectares of vines at our Koomooloo vineyard in 1988-89 with our first commercial vintage produced in 2004.
Now my sons Daniel and Damian have taken ownership and management of Philip Shaw Wines and they continue to deliver world class wines from our Koomooloo Vineyard.
I’ve kicked off a new project, HOOSEGG, continuing to challenge winemaking and myself!
