WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER - 6 to 830pm at Prince Wine Store Zetland FIVE STARS - Adrian Rodda has been winemaking since 1998, originally working with David Bicknell at Oakridge. He was involved in the development of the superb Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, his final contribution to 864 coming in 2009. At the start of 2010 he and wife Christie, a doctor, moved to Beechworth and co-lease Smiths Vineyard with Mark Walpole of Fighting Gully Road. Smiths Vineyard, planted to chardonnay in 1978, is a veritable jewel. More recently the two have set up their wineries in the historic Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum, a win on all fronts. JAMES HALLIDAY’S WINE COMPANION From 'Young Gun' to 'Rising Star' and now one of Australia's most formidable winemaking talents, it's been an incredible steep trajectory for Adrian Rodda who launched his eponymous label in 1998 after working with Australia's Chardonnay whisperer David Bicknell at Oakridge. Along the way he also picked up Australia's most prestigious white wine award, the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge, for his 2017 Willow Lake. He backed that up this year with The wines are even better since then and there is a good argument to make that today Adrian makes the best 'set' of chardonnays in the country from the Yarra, Whitlands and his home turf in Beechworth. It's one of those collections of wines that we argue about each year as to which is best, it's a game of inches. Given the incredible quality of his chardonnays you would be forgiven for not realising that there's almost an impressive selection of reds in the portfolio too, with Rodda's Tete de Cuvee, a Bordeaux blend from Beechworth, crowning that list. We are thrilled to get Adrian out of the lunatic asylum (literally, the winery is an old lunatic asylum) and up to Sydney to host a masterclass for us. There is a rare chance to get up and personal with one of Australia's most talented winemakers and taste the range of new releases alongside a couple of cracking back vintages. Click below to book, this one will go quickly.