Sarah Crowe

The Climb

Working the rows is where winegrowing starts, and for Sarah Crowe it started at Brokenwood in Hunter Valley. As a vineyard worker, she learned the seasonal pace from the ground up, with direct contact with vine, weather and soil. That kind of early fieldwork matters: it builds an understanding of the raw material before the cellar ever comes into view. Since 2013, Yarra Yering has been the place where those skills meet larger responsibility, with Crowe serving as winemaker and general manager. The pairing is practical. One side is the wine itself; the other is the estate around it. Together, they put her in a position to shape both the bottles and the direction of the property in Yarra Valley.

Today

A dual role like that requires more than tasting and blending. It means tracking wines as they move through barrel and bottle, reading structure and balance, and making decisions with the estate’s longer view in mind. At Yarra Yering, Crowe works within a site that already carries a clear identity, so the task is not invention for its own sake but careful adjustment, keeping what is established intact while still allowing refinement. Red wine is her main focus, and the work is described in terms that prize restraint over force. The aim is to let terroir register plainly, with site and season carrying the weight rather than technique overpowering them. Crowe puts the objective plainly: “I want to make delicious wines that last through the ages.” It is a straightforward statement of what the craft asks for — immediate appeal, and the structure to hold.

Signature

Sarah's signature wines include Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.1 2021, a benchmark expression in her line-up; 2023 Yarra Yering Chardonnay, which extends her reach beyond red with poise; 2024 Light Dry Red Pinot Shiraz, a wine whose very name hints at delicacy and intent; 2022 Dry Red Wine No.2, another essential marker of the estate’s character; and 2023 Amphora, a bottling that sits within the same disciplined, thoughtful frame.

In Their Words “We think about our heritage every day around what has come before us and what has already been learnt, what have we forgotten and is there anything we should revisit.” “I want to make delicious wines that last through the ages.”

Recognition

James Halliday Winemaker of the Year (2017) placed Sarah Crowe among the most closely watched winemakers in Australian wine, and it speaks to the standing of her work within the field.