Paulmara Estate in South Australia’s famed wine region, Barossa Valley is a story of persistence, risk, and heritage now defined by its award-winning wines.
Paul Georgiadis co-owner and viticulturist, captures the essence of winemaking as art and science. Paulmara Estate is on the famous Seppeltsfield Road known for its premium wineries and award-winning restaurants.
Georgiadis and his American-born wife Mara Thomas opened Paulmara (Paul and Mara) Estate in 1999 – “shared dream” and “family blending”, he says.
“My father-in-law in California came up with the name by combining Paul and Mara, to represent our merging worlds.”
In 2009, after 18 years as the National Grower Relations Manager at Penfolds, Georgiadis decided to apply his knowledge and experience to his own venture.
“We said, ‘why not do this for ourselves?’
“I wanted to apply everything I’d learned and see what kind of results we could achieve,” the viticulturist says.
The grape whisperer
Georgiadis’ story was prewritten. He grew up in Waikerie, in the Riverland, two hours out of Adelaide. His family tended vineyards and orchards.
His father, Charalambos, migrated to Australia in 1954 from Goumenissa, Kilkis, and found work in the Riverland, cultivating vineyards and orchards.
“Dad was always involved in agriculture in some shape or form, even in Greece,” Georgiadis says.
Charalambos met Athina, from Scotina, Pieria, they fell in love and married. They worked hard and in 1973 bought a vineyard in Barmera and baptised Georgiadis Lakeside Vineyards.
Despite business and marketing studies, Georgiadis had drunk the wine and joined Penfolds in 1991.
He managed relationships with growers and oversaw the cultivation of high-quality grapes, “60,000 tones of fruit for Penfolds,” he says.
“I worked with Adelaide University and Penfolds in a five-year benchmark project across all varieties on what constitutes quality.”
Wines that tell a story
First vines were planted in 1995, “We started small, we kept a little bit of fruit for ourselves,” Georgiadis says.
The brand expanded and he left Penfolds in 2009. Georgiadis found the freedom to experiment with a variety of grapes, including unique Greek varieties such as Semisteri from Cyprus and Marafetiko.
“I wanted Greek varieties, and that’s why we now have Semisteri from Cyprus and Marafetiko.”
Georgiadis knew that Greek drought-tolerant varieties would do well in the Barossa Valley’s climate. The state produces over 75 per cent of Australia’s premium wines. Barossa Valley contributes 27 per cent of the total value of South Australia’s wine sector, adding $740 million annually to the state’s economy.
The Barossa’s vineyards yield of grapes annually is valued at over $80 million and employs 2,700 people.
In 2011, Georgiadis and his wife Mara, and four friends, bought a second estate, Paradigm Vineyards, known for its old-vine Cabernet and Shiraz. Aged vines, 50 to 90 years old, were rejuvenated to produce some of the finest wines in the Barossa Valley.
Ode to quality
Georgiadis believes great wines “are made in the vineyard”.
“If you don’t have good produce, you can’t make something great out of it.”
He emphasises fruit concentration, control of bunch and berry size, and finding the “right balance of flavour, colour, and acidity.
The winery’s first release, a limited-edition Shiraz ‘Syna’ (Greek for ‘together’), captures the merger of Paul and Mara’s heritages.
Paulmara Estate has produced a slew of award-winning wines including the 2018 Apotigi Cabernet Sauvignon, Winestate’s 2021 Australian Wine of the Year:
“It’s about purity of character and expression of place,” Georgiadis stresses.
Paulmara Estate has a solid repertoire of wines, including a joint venture Cross Paths, of Robola wine made with winemakers Gentilini wines in Kefalonia.
“We produce it with Petros Markantonatos who owns Gentilini winery.
“We met in 2015 in a Masterclass in Sydney, and he invited me to Kefalonia. Three months later I was knocking on his door, he was not expecting me”, laughs Georgiadis.
They spent 48 hours “talking about vineyards, drinking wine and sharing information”.
Truth can’t be hidden so sharing information among winemakers is a global thing. “In vino veritas – in wine there is truth,” he says.
“Bringing barriers down is important – we speak honestly, we laugh and come together.”
Pitching for Areti
Paulmara Estate’s popular Marananga Shiraz, at only $30, is celebrated for its rich fruit is a favourite at cellar door and in restaurants.
“We make fifteen different wines, including Shiraz, Cabernet, and Sangiovese.
But he says that “it’s the alternative varieties that create the story, people want to hear, more and more.”
“We don’t make wine for profit. We make wine to tell a story, through a product that people enjoy and share among friends,” Georgiadis says.
His most prized babies, ‘Areti’ won Wine State Magazine award as wine of the year.
Georgiadis, says it is “wine equal” to Australia’s lauded Grange.
“The pinnacle was getting into the Grange program which sells for $1,000 bottle. “It took eleven years,” he says.
“I wanted it for my dad for all the work that he put in, for his history, his heritage, for Greece” an emotional Georgiadis adds.
The product reflects 40 years of combined experience between Georgiadis, and winemaker Jason Barrette. It was showcased at the Marananga Vineyards and only 800 bottles were made initially.
“Our version of Grange, Areti – meaning excellence –is up there with the best wines in the world” Georgiadis says.
“We made something that stands side by side with of the most iconic wines of Australia,” says Georgiadis.
Paulmara Estate is not just a winery; it’s a love affair, a family, a legacy and hinged on risk, determination, and the belief that great wine can transcend borders and generations.
Future-making
SA’s billion-dollar wine industry has faced many headwinds in the last few years. COVID-19 monstered production, created supply chain disruptions and labour shortages that linger. The wine market is crowded and opening a winery is risky. Introducing Greek-style wine parallel to Grange, is more than risky. Maybe madness, but it reveals obsession, tenacity, and a remorseless work-ethic.
Georgiadis placed all his bets on quality and it paid off and says, “A good product will always find a market, even in tough times”.
“It’s delivering what consumers want, when they buy the first bottle, they tell their friends, and then it’s all word of mouth.”
Love, skills, and a bloody-minded focus from Georgiadis and his wife, Thomas, marks Paulmara Estate as a new breed. A Greek Ainspired award-winning wine from the Barossa Valley – the valley of wine kings – is no small thing.
For more go to paulmara.com.au
