Jon Reynolds is a winemaker with 25 years of broad industry experience Australia wide, who has worked for both large corporations and in his own business. In 2004, he established Oenologic as a consultancy service to the Wine Industry.
An oenology graduate of Roseworthy College in South Australia, he began his winemaking career at Chateau Reynella. Following this, Jon took up a position at Thomas Hardy and Sons' Houghton Winery in the Swan Valley of Western Australia where he was winemaker and then senior winemaker for the following 8 years. There, he played a major role in redeveloping and revitalizing Houghton and its brands, and helped in the establishment of the then fledgling Western Australia wine industry.
During this time, Jon refined his skills in both white and red winemaking and proved his versatility as a maker of wine from grapes grown in both warm and cool climates. It was under his direction that Houghton White Burgundy regained its place as a premium wine in Australian domestic and European export markets to become the biggest single contributor to the Hardy Wine Company's bottom line.
In 1985, Jon and his family moved to the Hunter Valley where he joined Wyndham as their Group Senior Winemaker. There he was responsible for the production and development of the company's one million case domestic and export market wine portfolio. In 1989, Jon's last year with Wyndham, wines made by him for the Wyndham group won 10 trophies, 35 gold medals and 52 silver medals.
In 1989, Jon and Jane Reynolds purchased their own small winery and vineyard in the Hunter Valley, where over a period of 12 years, they produced wines that won awards at both national and international wine shows. They developed a viable business and a strong brand with strategic links to the very promising Orange District in the central west of New South Wales. In 1998, James Halliday ranked Reynolds as one of the outstanding winemakers in New South Wales.
In order to grow and further develop their interests in the Orange District, in 1997 Reynolds was recapitalised and became an unlisted public company. The company was promptly identified as an attractive takeover target and in 2000, was bought by a larger listed company. In an endeavour to underpin the success of the new venture, Jon worked with the new company for a further 4 years in the Central West. With a dedicated team, he successfully managed 500 hectares of vineyards, a winemaking facility with a 15,000 tonne capacity and grew production to 300,000 cases, making a range of medal winning wines at all price points for the Australian, Canadian, US and UK export markets.
Since leaving the company and moving to Sydney in 2004, Jon has established Oenologic and successfully completed an EMBA (Executive Master of Business).