to present his Canopy Management thesis, and then returned to Roseworthy as a lecturer. While there, he met and fell in love with a beautiful, talented, fun-loving fellow winemaker, Sarah Watts. They met on the very first day that Sarah came to study winemaking at Roseworthy.

Together they went to work with Sarah’s parents, Jim and Helen Watts, to develop the Fox Creek label, and had instant success. In 1995, the day after the winery received its producer’s licence, the Fox Creek Shiraz took the top award at the McLaren Vale Wine Show and Sparky and Sarah became the Bushing King and Queen. Then they won the title again in 1998, the first dual winemaking team ever to win the award twice. The secret of their success? A unique combination of passion, dedication, hard work, attention to detail and talent.

In 1998, the Longbottom family of Padthaway in south east South Australia, hearing of Sparky and Sarah’s skills, asked them to make their wine, Henry’s Drive and Parson’s Flat. They originally made these in tandem with the Fox Creek wines but, after the birth of their daughter Holly, decided that they needed more family time. So they formed their own company, planning to make the Henry’s Drive and Parson’s Flat wines for the Longbottoms, and some additional wines they could bottle and sell themselves. The phenomenal 1998 Henry’s Drive and Parson’s Flat wines saw them selected as Australian Winemakers of the Year in 2000.



Then their friend, Dan Philips, of The Grateful Palate, which imports Australian wines into the US, (and was the importer for Fox Creek, Henry’s Drive, and Parson’s Flat wines) suggested that they go into partnership and bottle the best of the “additional” wines Sarah & Sparky where making, for import into the U.S. under a label using their combined names.

So Marquis Philips was born, with its cult Roogle label (a combination of Eagle and Kangaroo), and Sparky and Sarah were busier than ever. Now in addition to their own label, Marquis Phililps, and the Longbottoms Henry’s Drive & Parson’s Flat wines, they are also responsible for the stunning wines of Shirvington’s. If success is due, as the saying has it, to inspiration and perspiration, then the inspiration comes from a combination of Sparky’s vision, planning, commitment and emotional involvement (he has been known to burst into tears if a block hasn’t been watered correctly), and Sarah’s wine blending talents (she has a special ability to be able to make the “Wines That Make You Go Wow” which is their motto). And the perspiration?

Their joint hard work - they have both done more than their share of all the tedious and heavy jobs that lurk behind the glamorous facade of winemaking. They still devote long hours to the tasting bench and to teaching their team the intricacies of their vineyard management program, their winery procedures, and their trademark attention to detail. Sparky and Sarah are no longer affiliated with Marquis Philips wines, and have moved on to their own project, Mollydooker.

The 2001 vintage in Australia will long be remembered the outstanding quality of the grapes harvested. The red varieties show an intensity of flavor coupled with an lovely elegance and fine-grained tannins. Shiraz is characterized by ripe dark berry fruit and spicy black pepper flavors with fine-grained tannins and excellent length. Considered one of the best vintages in recent memory, the wine are approachable now, but will age magnificently.    (hide)