Gary Farr is a trailblazer in Australian winemaking and is one of the founders of the Geelong winemaking region. He began his journey at Bannockburn Vineyards, where he served as head winemaker for over a decade. During this time he also spearheaded the vineyard planning and planting at another Geelong icon Clyde Park.
He has spent a large portion of his career (over 20 vintages) working in Burgundy with the majority of this time learning from the whole bunch masters of Domaine Dujac. This profoundly shaped his understanding of vineyard management and winemaking. Inspired by the finesse and complexity of Burgundian wines, Gary sought to craft wines in Australia that would rival the best in the world.
In 1994 Gary founded By Farr in Geelong setting out to change the landscape of the region and with the goal of producing world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - although he note his Shiraz & Viognier rival the best cool climate expressions made in country of these grapes too. Gary was very specific about the location and the legend goes that during his time at Bannockburn he had spied a plot of land not far away that would allow him to create a diverse range of cuvees to express the differences terroir can make to the Pinot Noir grape.
The vineyards are planted on ancient volcanic soils with limestone and clay subsoils, offering excellent drainage and mineral content. The Moorabool Valley’s cool-climate conditions are influenced by ocean breezes and provide the perfect environment for cultivating Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Fast forward to today, it's fair to say that Gary Farr and his son Nick Farr have set the benchmark extremely high as they find themselves as one of the most sought after producers in Victoria and a name frequently thrown into the discussion of 'who producers the best Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in Australia'. The Sangreal Pinot Noir and the GC Chardonnay are some of our favourite wines at The World of Wine, alongside the newer 'Cote Vineyard' range - a close planted site that was set aside by Gary as a gift to his son and heir Nick.
In 2023 Huon Hooke at the Real Review awarded By Farr as the #1 Winery in Australia, congratulations to the Farr family for the legacy they have created.