Patina’s early passion in wine making
In the early 1990s Gerald’s brother-in-law purchased a farm in Mudgee NSW and developed a vineyard which re-kindled his interest in vineyards and wine. However having witnessed the large California expansion of European varietals in the 1970s only to be followed by a large vine pull in the 1980s his business sense cautioned me about investing in vines.
After some consideration the family moved to Orange NSW in 1995. In the autumn of 1999 he made the pivotal mistake of picking some of his brother-in-law’s grapes left by the machine harvester around the end posts and making 100 litres of wine. He had more fun than a kid with a new toy and by late winter of the same year he purchased a small farm in Orange. He contacted a local viticultural consultant to confirm the best layout and soil types for the vineyard and was informed that it was too late in the year and he couldn’t get the vineyard planted in time and should leave it until 2000. Gerald had never let such reasonable words of wisdom prevent his from doing something unreasonable in the past, so he forged ahead and by October had planted, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
In effort to learn and prepare for the 2002 harvest Gerald purchased a tonne of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, a couple of small stainless tanks and barrels (and a few books) and made a 2000 vintage wine. Bolstered by the experience he purchased 5 tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in 2001.
Patina Wines produced their first vintage from their vineyard in 2002. The Cabernet yielded 4 tonnes, Merlot 1.5 tonnes and the Chardonnay was a write off.
A new era
2025 marks an exciting new chapter for Patina Wines, with the business acquired by Rod Shields and his family, with founder and winemaker Gerald Naef continuing on as a fruit supplier and custodian of the Patina style.
The family is thrilled to take on this iconic Orange region wine business. I’ve been working alongside Gerald for some time now, and the family is excited to step into the next chapter of Patina Wines.
Having Gerald continue to help manage the vineyard and guide the winemaking style is a crucial part of the brand’s ongoing success. His understanding of the site and attention to detail is second to none.
Since 2023 Nadja Wallington and Steve Mobbs have taken on the day-to-day responsibilities of winemaking. The winemaking is certainly in safe hands. This is a key part of the Patina puzzle, and with Steve and Nadja on board, and Gerald still involved, we’re confident in the consistency of both style and quality moving forward.
We look forward to building on Patina’s legacy, working with the Orange wine community, and preserving the integrity and heritage of the brand.