This is a post about one of our newest winemakers. Angels have gotten a sneak peek of his wines on the site, and he just made a big splash on the first ever US tour. It’s time we tell you a little bit more about him.
Daryl made Grange, Australia’s most collectible wine.
First off, this guy is famous. You don’t have to believe me. He has been chosen as winemaker of the year by eight different publications. And everybody in the wine world has nice things to say about him:
“Groom made Penfolds’ flagship red, Grange Hermitage, which has become Australia’s most collectible wine.” – The Wine Spectator
“Groom is my choice for Winemaker of the Year” – LA Times, Dan Berger
“Groomed for success.” Jim Laube, Laube on Wine
“Daryl Groom. The human Tornado.” – Bill Rice, Chicago Tribune
“If the bottle says ‘Groom’ on it, buy it! It’ll be top quality Australian or top quality Californian in any case.” – Bob Cramer, The Fearless Taster
It was hard to pick which quotes to include… there are sooo many of them. But the truth is that the man behind Grange is much more than a PR-magnet. He’s more than a successful talented winemaker.
Daryl is a genuinely lovely person.
I just got to spend a lot of time with Daryl on the first ever US winemaker tour. And he’s is really a delight. Always has a huge smile. He’s a great talker but an even better listener. He’s just awesome.
He’s worked on a lot of projects other than Grange (Geyser Peak, Colby Red, and many more) and they’re all delicious. Have you heard of Colby Red?
Colby Groom is a brave little boy and you have to watch the video above to hear the story of his survival. After two open heart surgeries as an 8 year old, Colby wanted to make a wine with his dad that would raise $500,000 to support heart research.
It’s just impossible to dislike Daryl or anybody in his beautiful family.
Daryl makes friends everywhere he goes and he loves his Angels.
Daryl’s offering a free sample of his Russian River Pinot Noir to any Angel who orders an eligible case this month.
This month, any Angel who orders an eligible case is entitled to a free sample of Russian River Pinot made by Daryl himself. It’s not Grange. But it’s delicious. And you helped him make it. Think about that while you taste it and it might be even better than Grange.
Okay Ryan you made me cry this time. Great story. I am even more happy that I have purchased so much of Daryl’s fabulous DRG, and will look for Colby Red. What a loving family, and I enjoyed hearing from Daryl himself. Thank you again for your blog.
Ryan I love Daryl’s NW Pinot noir…it is so rich and fabulous. Knowing that and after reading his story, I picked up a couple of bottles of Colby Red today. Am thoroughly enjoying it this evening. It is a wine that I feel so good about in so many ways! I am going to share the information and story with other red-loving family and friends. While the vast bulk of my wine purchases come directly from the NW site, I really enjoy and appreciate having stories like this brought to my attention. It gives an even more full appreciation of the winemakers working with NW. I know I’ve said it several times already, Ryan, but I really like your blog. You are excellent.
Thanks Karen, it never gets old 😉
And I really love that you’re drinking Colby Red. We all hope that our wine drinking can make a difference. It’s why we’re both Angels. And I’m glad you can enjoy Daryl and Colby’s effort to make the world a better place!
[…] this week, I wrote about Daryl Groom, the man who made Grange and did a damn fine job making some of the most collectible vintages of Grange to date. […]