The veteran winemaker is a member of a group nicknamed the PhD Vignerons by the esteemed wine commentator James Halliday.

The name came about after the former biologist for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and some of his academic colleagues, including John Kirk from Clonakilla, began growing grapes in Canberra's Murrumbateman region. That was in the 1970s and Murrumbateman - one of three Canberra subregions - now boasts 15 wineries and a reputation for producing some of Australia's finest drops.

Helm, a fourth-generation grape grower, and men like Kirk, Harvey Smith (Doonkuna, now Eden Road) and Geoff Middleton (Murrumbateman Wines) are regarded as the fathers of Canberra's wine industry.

Helm has a special love for Murrumbateman and says a concept kicked off nine years ago has played a big part in the region's success.

"We called it the Makers of Murrumbateman, obviously because we have winemakers, food artisans who make things, artists who make people happy, accommodation owners who make beds and even petrol station owners because they make cars go," Helm recalled this week.

"The first event we came up with was what we called the 'moving feast' and that's held over the October long weekend every year, when people are invited to visit each of the wineries, share a plate of food and try a glass of their signature wine.

"We've now decided to expand the concept and came up with the idea of having a roadshow to Wollongong."

The roadshow, on Sunday, September 21, is being co-hosted by Wollongong's Tosti Cellars and will include a public tasting ($10 entry fee) and a 6pm dinner ($75), at which a winemaker will sit at each of the tables.

The participating wineries comprise Helm Wines, Jeir Creek, Shaw Vineyard Estate, Gallagher Wines, Murrumbateman Winery, Granitevale Wines, Long Rail Gully, Dionysus Wines, Eden Road and Tallagandra Hill, together with Robyn Rowe Chocolates.

Helm says Wollongong wine lovers are in for a treat, with all 10 wineries expected to have their signature wines out for tasting - from riesling to shiraz, cabernet, merlot, sparkling, stickies, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir - at the City Beach event.

While Helm preferred to talk about the Makers of Murrumbateman, it would be remiss to ignore the role he has played in Canberra's ascension and his stature as one of the world's foremost riesling experts. He founded Canberra's International Riesling Challenge, which this year drew more than 500 entries from eight countries.

"My great-great-grandparents arrived from Germany, went to Albury in the 1850s and planted some of the first vines in the Rutherglen area," Helm says.

Helm worked as a CSIRO biologist and was transferred to Canberra, where "I started rubbing shoulders with lots of people from Europe who had an appreciation of wine".

"I said 'gee I know about wine, I grew up with it' and so a wine club was started at Black Mountain at the CSIRO laboratory in Canberra.

"A few of us decided that maybe it would be a good idea to grow some grapes and so in 1973 my wife and I planted our first vines. We decided to move from Canberra and came out to Murrumbateman in 1975 and we've been here ever since. It was a pretty gutsy move in those days and when James Halliday wrote his first article on the area, he called us the PhD Vignerons because it was bit unusual for academics to start a wine industry."

The region struggled for the first 15 or 20 years "until the area starting getting some real accolades and now we're one of the fastest-growing wine regions in Australia.

"John Kirk from Clonakilla and I came from the CSIRO and we were the first to grow grapes here, but the region was better known for wool production and the local shire council wasn't all that supportive."

"I got so sick of fighting them that I ran for council and spent 12 years there, including three terms as mayor."

Helm has a special affinity for riesling, not only because of his German heritage but because the variety - often called the noble grape - was all but ignored by many Australian producers.

He says the Canberra district's warm to hot summers and cool nights influenced by the easterly breeze which comes in about 6pm is ideal for producing outstanding riesling fruit.

"This district is up there as one of the premium riesling regions and our International Riesling Challenge is the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

"I go to Germany to judge and I have a broad experience with the grape and all the styles from around the world."

■ The Makers of Murrumbateman will hold a public tasting ($10 entrance fee) from midday until 4pm at City Beach Function Centre on September 21, followed by a six-course dinner ($75 per person) from 6pm. Tickets are available from City Beach or through Simon Hurford on 4274 1315, 424 061 083 or by emailing shurford@tosti.com.au.