With his teetotal forebears and country-town upbringing, Kym Milne wasn’t an obvious candidate for clocking up airmiles and accolades as one of the world’s most influential flying winemakers. But a thirst for travel, a nose for opportunity, a maniacal work ethic and a mild-mannered approach to collaboration have taken him from Bordertown to the furthest frontiers and back again.
Kym and I first crossed paths only recently, when we judged together at the 2025 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. I’d been told to look out for him by one of his deeply satisfied clients, our mutual friend Anita Goode of Mount Benson winery Wangolina.
The cause of her affection was immediately clear. Kym’s deep well of experience is unfathomable to many of us, but he wears his knowledge lightly. He’s seen it all but listens intently, and while you sense the conscientiousness that has taken him so far, he is clearly light of heart. I couldn’t wait to get him on the podcast.
Much of the context for this conversation is filled in as we go. As always, some references could do with clarification. Mundulla-raised Kym talks about the start of his career at Berri Estates in the Riverland, South Australia. The winery and its wares have undergone changes through the years; it now comes under the Vinarchy banner, formed by a merger of parts of the Accolade and Pernod-Ricard operations. One of his mentors there was Ian Mackenzie, a renowned figure in Australian wine judging and sparkling production, perhaps best known for his time at Seppelt.
At Roseworthy, he studied under Bryce Rankine, author of the seminal text Making Good Wine, and influential NZ viticulturist Richard Smart. Richard, who died last year, was discussed in my interview with Steve Smith MW for episode 16. Coincidentally, Steve was part of the turnaround at Villa Maria alongside Kym under owner George Fistonich, which we talk about. The Hawke’s Bay brands Esk Valley and Vidal also came under his purview at Villa Maria. Other notable Kiwis who enter the fray during our discussions about flying winemaking projects are John Hancock of Morton Estate and Trinity Hill fame, and Warren Gibson, founder of Bilancia and long-serving winemaker at Trinity Hill (all Hawke’s Bay), as well as consulting winemaker Alastair Maling MW.
Elsewhere in the flying winemaking years, we come across the Bordelais Jacques Lurton, who is associated with various projects from Kangaroo Island to Mendoza, and Hugh Ryman, who has likewise made wine everywhere and is one of the partners, along with British wine writer Robert Joseph, behind wine brand Le Grand Noir.
Grants of St. James’s was the UK importer of Villa Maria, through which Kym made important contacts. When it was taken over, Kym was part of the small group that engineered the management buyout of its own-label division, International Wine Services (IWS). Augusto Cantele of Puglia and Peppe Pellegrino of Sicily are referenced as winemakers who collaborated on Italian projects. Lynne Sherriff MW helped Kym scout opportunities in South Africa, and Reid Bosward (instrumental in the modern iteration of Kaesler) is the Barossa winemaker Kym installed in Stellenbosch.
Speaking of Stellenbosch, we also mention a few of Global Wine Solutions’ present and past clients, namely Rustenberg in South Africa, Hunter’s in Marlborough and Craggy Range in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, and, in Chile, Valdivieso and Errázuriz.
