Michael Kyberd

The Honours

The work first took shape regionally as Chief Winemaker for a prominent local brand, then continued as a contract winemaker for a rather splendid clientele. That background feeds the current chapter at Kyberd Hills Wines. The project follows Michael Kyberd’s own reading of the craft, expressed in his line: "Kyberd Hills is born of my deep love for wine, particularly the nuanced delights of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay."

The Craft

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay remain the focus, with purity set ahead of force. Michael Kyberd describes the method directly: "The winemaking style is gentle with minimal extraction and intervention; purity is the desired outcome." The language around the work brings together precision and feeling, science and emotion, knowledge and love. Those are not ornamental pairings; they describe the point where winemaking lives, with measurement and instinct required to meet without either taking over. The tone stays plain in his own words: "I consider myself immensely fortunate," he has said, followed by the simpler summary: "I'm living my passion every day."

The Career

Before Kyberd Hills Wines, the career included work as winemaker at Kyberd Wine and a former role as winemaker at Morning Sun Vineyard. Those roles sit inside a longer line of winegrowing on the Mornington Peninsula, which has remained the main ground of the work. The earlier period began with responsibility as Chief Winemaker for a prominent local brand. Contract winemaking came later, widening the brief across different clients while keeping the same regional vocabulary of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today, the role at Kyberd Hills Wines gathers those threads under the same name. The emphasis is on control, care, and the pursuit of purity through gentle handling.

Signature

Michael's signature wines include 2020 Turrumurra Chardonnay, Kyberd Hills El Rubio Tempranillo 2023, Kyberd Hills El Rubio Tempranillo 2022, and Kyberd Hills Brigadier Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2020.

In Their Words “Kyberd Hills is born of my deep love for wine, particularly the nuanced delights of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.” “The winemaking style is gentle with minimal extraction and intervention; purity is the desired outcome.”