About

“You should be able to drink a full bottle where the last glass tastes as good or better than the first glass” – Robert Black

In 2013, winemaker Robert Black was tempted by friend and business partner James O’Neill to create and build a small range of wines under the BLACK label. Since 2000, Rob has continued to enjoy making wine from fruit grown in both the Mudgee and Orange regions. To him those two regions are crossroads if you like, of Renaissance Road and Sentimental Lane. As BLACK Wines’ evolves and grows Rob uses his network and knowledge to source fruit from across the country and apply his craft to create elegant wines driven by regional identity that interest him and make him happy. Robert’s intuition and careful winemaking with respect to the fruit results in wines across the range that exhibit friendliness and approachability…alot like him.

Rob continues to provide blending and classification services to customers for both Estate labels and Buyers' Own Brands. He also has over 20 years of experience in sourcing product to meet specific style requirements of domestic and international clientele.

Robert was born in Orange and after studying Oenology at Charles Sturt University (1998-2000) worked in other wine regions throughout Australia before deciding to return and make his home in Mudgee. His skill as a winemaker has been widely recognised in his achievements as a finalist in the Young Winemaker of the Year 2001 and Young Winemaker ambassador at Wine Australia 2004. Robert also presented “Wine on the Wireless” on ABC Radio National during 2007-2008 and he has taught winemaking and sensory evaluation at TAFE NSW over a period of five years between 2005-2009. In 2009 he completed the Advanced Wine Assessment Course at the AWRI.