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Nathan Waks, managing director of Australian winery Kilikanoon, is also a professional cellist who occasionally plays with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Nathan Waks is no ordinary wine company executive. Not only is he the managing director of one of Australia's most acclaimed wineries, Kilikanoon, Waks is also a professional cellist who still occasionally plays with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Waks has been lucky enough to be able to indulge in his passions for wine and music, without sacrificing either.
The Sydney native has been playing the cello since he was seven years old. He majored in the instrument at the Sydney Conservatorium, and at the age of 19, he became the youngest cellist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He was director of music for the Australian Broadcasting Company in the 1990s, and has composed music for musicals and movies.
``I've been a musician all my life, but I had a love of wine. I had the opportunity nearly 10 years ago in 2000 to buy a small vineyard owned by Kevin Mitchell, who is the winemaker for Kilikanoon. I saw what great wine he was making and what good grapes he had. We bought the vineyard, and then he asked me to become partners. After that it was very easy. When you see such good wine, you want to be part of it,'' Waks told The Korea Times at the Shilla Hotel last Friday.
Waks worked together with Mitchell, whom he described as a very meticulous winemaker trained in both scientific and artistic aspects of winemaking to build up the Kilikanoon brand. Mitchell's father, Mort, has had decades of experience growing grapes in south Australia's Clare Valley, where Kilikanoon's vineyards are located.
Despite being relatively new, Kilikanoon reaped numerous awards from wine competitions in Australia and abroad, and gained high praise from the world's top wine critics. But it was in 2002, when Kilikanoon won six out of seven trophies at the Clare Valley Wine Show, that critics and consumers sat up and took notice.
``We won six out of seven trophies. It never happened before and it never happened again. In Australia, we went from being unknown to being suddenly known,'' Waks said.
Kilikanoon received another boost when influential wine critic Robert E. Parker Jr. gave good reviews for its wines. Most of them received an above or near 90 rating from Parker. ``Now we are building the brand, so the name is important. It can be a good thing to be recognized _ and a bad thing. There's a strong responsibility to deliver good quality consistently, because, once people expect it, its very bad if you don't deliver,'' he said.
Kilikanoon always strives to deliver wine with good value. Its products, which are being distributed in Korea through Doosan Wine, have been selling well. Among the best-selling in Korea are its Green's Vineyard Shiraz and Lackey Shiraz.
Waks was in Seoul last week to represent Kilikanoon at a gala dinner with Parker, where its 2004 R. Reserve was the only non-French wine served.
Despite the economic slowdown, Waks is still upbeat about the market in Korea.
``The Korean market is developing very quickly. The economic growth that happened in Korea was very broad that more people are enjoying the benefits of a good lifestyle. People here want to learn about wine. In Korea, you can see a lot of different wines from different countries, which was probably not the case a few years ago. With choice, people can experiment and learn about wine. I feel very positive with this market,'' he said.
When asked how the worldwide recession will impact the wine industry, Waks said consumers will still drink wine but perhaps look for wine with better value. ``People are trading down. They will have the same amount of wine, but look for better value. It is our job to make sure they have good value for whatever price,'' he said.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
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