Timo Mayer comes from a 400-year long tradition of winemakers in Württemberg, Germany, but he decided to up sticks and travel the world to find something less traditional. He and his wife Rhonda eventually settled in the Yarra Valley, hoping to make wines that reflected the region’s cooler climate – something the market was lacking in the mid 90s, when they arrived. He worked at De Bartoli, one of the only producers in the area leading the way for a more elegant style of wine, then moved to Gembrook, a winery focused on minimal intervention. In 2000 he was ready to strike out on his own and launched Mayer Wines, planting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on one heck of a steep hill (named Bloody Hill by Timo for that very reason). In 2004 he began making Pinot Noir using whole bunches, a technique almost unheard of in Australia at the time but which is now recognised as a game-changer in terms of adding complexity and freshness. He’s still breaking boundaries today, experimenting with new varieties for the area, such as Nebbiolo and Gamay.