Paul Nelson
Australia
Paul's Wines
- Australia
- 16 wines
- 6 styles
Awarded winemaker producing premium drops from Denmark in southern WA
Growing up on a vineyard, Paul thought was destined to be a grower, but a study trip to France changed all that. The history, passion and romance of winemaking lit a fire in his belly and he changed course. A winemaking degree and vintages around the world followed, as he honed his delicious craft.
In 2009, he took the leap out on his own, and within 4 years had bought the oldest winery in Denmark, WA. His sublime wines raised eyebrows in esteemed wine circles and earned him a Top 10 Best New Wineries listing. But his volumes were small - he needed more grapes and a bigger audience. In short, he needed Naked Wines.
And so in 2015, Paul came on board and went from producing just 40 cases of sensational handmade wine to thousands as Angels clamoured for more. He’s now grown big enough to add one of the oldest vineyards in Mt Barker to his fold (signalling more Nelson goodies to come!).
Vineyard Location
Paul Nelson's Story
Paul was born and raised in Western Australia, where he worked on the family vineyard as a kid. It was no surprise when he went on to study Viticulture and Oenology when he left school. But on a college trip to France, he was seduced by the history, passion and romance of winemaking and changed course to be a winemaker instead of a grower.
Paul spent his first two vintages with famous large winemakers Houghtons and Goundreys. The path of winemaking then led him overseas doing vintages in every nook and cranny from California to Stellenbosch, Germany to Cyprus, and Italy to India.
Ask Paul what’s so special about winemaking and he’ll tell you “You can create something that perfectly captures the essence of the vintage from a simple bunch of grapes and lock it in a bottle to be released sometime somewhere else in the world. It’s almost magical.”
His first year as a go-it-alone winemaker saw his winery listed as a James Halliday Top 10 best new winery and Dark Horse winery. In 2013 Paul and his wife bought the oldest vineyard and cellar door in Denmark (WA), but his volumes were still only very small.
Getting Naked in 2015 was life changing for them. Not only has it given Paul a chance to express his winemaking philosophy and showcase his unique region to many more wine lovers than he thought possible, it’s given him access to vineyards not usually within his reach. He's now just added one of the oldest of them in Mt Barker to his own blossoming portfolio.
It’s just one example of the profound effect Angels have on independent winemakers like Paul.
We’ll drink to that!
Paul's Archangels
Wannabe Wine Connoisseur & Psych Nurse from Perth, WA
