Theo Coles - Central Otago
 

Theo Coles is the Central Otago winemaker for Freefall Wines.

 

After completing his Bachelor of Science at the University of Canterbury, he went on to study Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University in 1999.
Since then, he has travelled the wine world, working vintages in a number of new world and old world regions – including Marlborough at Wither Hills, Bordeaux at the legendary Chateau Leoville Las-Cases, Victoria at Tahbilk, the Rhone Valley at Chateau de St Cosme and Domaine Francois Villard, Alsace at Maison Kuentz-Bas, and Brunello at Tenute Silvio Nardi.

 

Since the 2002 vintage he worked as winemaker at Daniel Schuster Wines Ltd, where he gained a healthy respect for and understanding of the vineyard. He has been making wine for The Crater Rim, his family’s own wine company in North Canterbury, since vintage 2004.

 

These experiences have inspired Theo’s philosophy in the winery, which is based on creating wines of character and quality through a policy of watchful, non-interventionist winemaking. He uses a combination of new and traditional techniques and technology to allow the fruit to become wine. Theo focuses on allowing the vineyard character to shine through to produce complete, balanced and unique wines.