It’s fascinating to observe winemaking skills being passed down to a new generation, especially when the younger generation reinterprets and advances the knowledge they’ve inherited. This special kind of progression, so to speak, is in full force with Joshua Cooper Wines.

Born and raised at Cobaw Ridge winery, which was founded by his parents Alan and Nelly Cooper, Joshua was truly destined to make wine, and at under thirty years of age he is well on his way to establishing himself as a leader amongst the next generation of Australian winemakers. His first vintage was in 2012, with a single barrel of wine made from fruit his parents grew in the Cobaw Ridge vineyard. His label has since expanded to a more varied range, including historic styles as well as the more experimental and esoteric.

With a focus on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Josh’s wine are an exploration of his surroundings through wine, made without artifice, to be a reflection of place and season. He sources from central and western Victoria in a négociant system, though these grower vineyards are soon to be supplemented by estate grown fruit, with planting commencing in 2024 of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Stone Hills in Drummond, Victoria. Having spent his life watching his parents drive organic and biodynamic grape growing in Australia, he has a clear idea of how he wants his own label to grow. Fruit quality and provenance are an overriding imperative when he is looking to buy, and biodynamic principles reign when he thinks about growing his own fruit.

Unaltered wines that do not conform to pre-existing established ideals are the hallmark by which Joshua Cooper and his contemporaries have set themselves apart from the stock standard winemaking that can be found in Australia today. There may be no better winemaker to tell the story of next-gen winemaking in Victoria than Joshua Cooper.