Andrew Spinaze

The Path

Roseworthy College gave Andrew Spinaze the technical base for a career that would be defined by long repetition at Tyrrell's Wines. In 1978, he started at Arrowfield in Upper Hunter, where cellar work set the terms of the job and sharpened his eye for practical winemaking. By 1980–1981, he had moved to the winemaking staff at Tyrrell's Wines in Hunter Valley, taking on work that demanded pace, precision, and consistency. A return to Tyrrell's Wines in Hunter Valley as assistant winemaker from 1985–1989 added another layer of discipline to the role. That second spell mattered because it turned a temporary move into a durable association. Since 1989, Andrew has served as senior winemaker / Chief Winemaker of Tyrrell's Wines, carrying the house style through accumulated experience, close observation, and attention to detail. Over time, his name has become closely tied to the estate’s winemaking identity.

Signature

Andrew's signature wines include Vat 1 Semillon, Vat 47 Chardonnay, and Vat 9 Shiraz. Together, they sit within the Tyrrell's Wines framework as examples of a style built on clean lines, measured structure, and confidence in restraint. The grouping points to continuity: one winemaker, one estate, and a body of work kept consistent through place, process, and patience.

In Their Words “Ninety percent of what we did was winemaking, including practical work at a winery.” That line captures the shape of the early training: less emphasis on theory, more on timing, touch, and the repeated physical work of the cellar. It describes a training ground where skill was built through practice and where the finished wine reflected the labour behind it. The remark shows how a short return can become the basis of a much longer career. What was meant as a limited stretch at Tyrrell's Wines became the start of decades of continuity.