PRC - North East Victoria

Three winemakers with their own separate businesses combine each year to produce a single wine from fruit purchased from growers outside of their respective wine regions. Each of them take a third of the fruit, take it to their own wineries and make a separate cuvée. Eventually, the wines are all tasted and critiqued (over many other bottles of wine), then blended together and released.

Single-site, three interpretations.

Peter Graham (Domenica, Beechworth), Rowly Milhinch (Scion, Rutherglen), and Chris Catlow (Sentio, Beechworth) are part of a really tight-knit community in Victoria’s northeast. They’ve had their fair share of challenges with vintage 2020 and the current crisis is another challenge they’ll meet head-on.

View PRC Lusatia Park Chardonnay here
View PRC Gippsland Pinot Noir here

Rieslingfreak - Clare and Eden Valley

John Hughes is one of Australian Riesling’s most passionate advocates, and is perhaps the best example of a new wave of winemaking approaches to educate consumers about varietal expression and terroir throughout multiple regions in South Australia. A self-proclaimed Rieslingfreak, his 2017 No. 3 Riesling - his Clare Valley expression, was the first Riesling to ever win Best White Wine in the Royal Sydney Wine Show, and from that point on his label - and his wine - have gone from strength to strength.

Producing both dry and sweet styles (including a sparkling “Sekt” style) from several carefully selected parcels across Clare Valley and Eden Valley, John recently produced his first release of Rieslingfreak No. 1 - a special wild yeast fermented, barrel aged expression of dry Riesling from a spectacular vintage.

Beautifully made wines from one of the loveliest winemakers in the country, if you are a Riesling lover these expressions are a must-try, and always punch above their weight.

View Rieslingfreak No. 8 here

Mayer - Yarra Valley

To summarise the cult following behind Timo Mayer’s “bring back the funk” mentality towards winemaking, we recently asked Timo to send us a video of some of his 2020 vintage winemaking. He sent a slow motion video of him shooting a bottle of his Sangiovese into oblivion. This is the kind of addictive crazy we are dealing with.

Mayer wines consist of a small farm producing hand crafted, single vineyard wine in the Yarra Valley. Holding central the belief that wines are made in the vineyard, Timo’s wines are made with the intention to show the truest expression of the land - therefore, minimal intervention practices are key and fining and filtration are strongly discouraged. While originally Timo used to split his time between his farm in the Yarra Valley and a couple of vineyards in Germany (where he also made Riesling and Pinot Noir to critical acclaim), Timo’s German side of the brand is now mostly handled by a couple of trusted colleagues, while he continues his work in the Yarra.

By the way, Timo doesn’t believe in back labels or barcodes, so these wines are the special kind of delicious that you can only engage with by drinking them (which, by the way, is fine by us). With whole bunch and lots of stemmy, textural goodness clearly leading his style, Timo’s wines are expressive, unique and varietal and fantastic for those looking to get a good sense of terroir without too much winemaking wizardry at play.

Winemaker: Timo Mayer
http://www.timomayer.com.au/
timomayer@bigpond.com.au

View Mayer Sangiovese here
View Mayer Yarra Valley Pinot Noir here
View Mayer Syrah here

Mewstone - D'Entrecasteaux, Tasmania

“Brothers Matthew and Jonathan Hughes have established Mewstone Vineyard on the banks of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in the tiny hamlet of Flowerpot. We create expressive single site wines with a minimum of intervention in the winery. The vineyard is a former cherry orchard and with some new plantings this year, will expand to a final size of 3.5 hectares. The original planting consists mostly of Pinot Noir with small plantings of Chardonnay, Syrah, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Jonny is the winemaker in this family venture, studying winemaking in New Zealand before working in Langhorne Creek (South Australia), Central Otago (NZ), Mornington Peninsula (Victoria), Barolo (Italy), the Hunter Valley (New South Wales) and Okanagan Valley (Canada). Heading home to Tasmania, Jonny worked in various roles within the local wine industry, before settling in as the Assistant Winemaker at Moorilla in Hobart for seven years. With Mewstone vineyard established, we have added a second range. A venture that focuses more on the winemaking. Sourcing quality grapes from other local vineyards, our Hughes&Hughes range allows Jonathan to be more daring with his winemaking endeavours and bring together techniques that he has encountered from his world travels. Producing in small batches means he can put a whole lot of love into these unique creations.” - Mewstone

Winemaker: Jonathan Hughes
https://mewstonewines.com.au/
Contact: jonny@mewstonewines.com.au

View Mewstone Chardonnay here
View Mewstone Pinot Noir here

Ricca Terra Farms - Riverland, South Australia

Ricca Terra is the creation of husband & wife team, Ashley & Holly Ratcliff. In 2003 they purchased their first vineyard in Barmera, South Australia. Their vision was to plant, nurture & make wine from grape varieties best suited to Australia’s warm & dry climate. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot quickly made way for Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano, Tinta Barroca, Fiano, Vermentino and many other Mediterranean varieties. Ricca Terra is recognised for its innovation, leadership & vision, which helps contribute to the future reputation & excitement of Australian Wine. Winner of the Gourmet Traveller Viticulturist of the Year, Ashley & Holly have challenged tradition & forged lasting change with their vineyards & wines.

Winemaker: Ash and Holly Ratcliffe
https://riccaterravintners.com.au/
Contact: ashley@riccaterrafarms.com.au

View Ricca Terra Bronco Buster here
View Ricca Terra Colour of Calmness here
View Ricca Terra Bullets Before Cannonballs here

Dirty Three Wines - Gippsland

“Somewhere along the coast between the Penguins and the Prom…
Not too many people know about Gippsland. Or it’s beautiful country side and beaches. Or its amazing produce. Or the fact that its a place to grow awesome wine, and most importantly, really amazing Pinot Noir.
Well, Dirty Three Wines want to help change all that and take you on their little journey of making Pinot Noir in Gippsland. Marcus and Lisa are a husband and wife team who have a passion for making great wine from the region they both grew up in. Marcus is our winemaker and co-owner. Born and bred in South Gippsland, Marcus has the region running through his veins. Having spent the last 12 years back home in Gippsland, kicking around dirt and helping shape many wines with many vineyards, there is isn’t much about vineyards and wines from Gippsland that he doesn’t know. He spent his formative years in the Yarra Valley and overseas forming friendships and working with some of the best in the business. Mentors and friends he holds dear to his heart and drive his ongoing strive for making better and better wine. If he’s not off consulting, wine judging, pruning vines or talking passionately about his craft, you might find him out in the surf or playing music around town.” - Marcus and Lisa Satchell

Winemaker: Marcus Satchell
https://dirtythreewines.com.au/
Contact: lisa@d3w.com.au

View All the Dirts Pinot Noir here
View Dirty Three Dirt Two Pinot Noir here

LS Merchants - Margaret River

“It’s all because a young winemaker from Geelong wanted something more from Margaret River than Cab Sauv and Chardy. Dylan Arvidson was born in Blemheim NZ, raised in Geelong VIC and moved to Margaret River in 2009 after being offered a job at Juniper Estate. He realised early on that although his favourite variety to drink and make is Chardonnay, his passion lay in finding obscure varieties or fruit not typically well known in our region and making it into the best possible example of that variety. Throwing the text books away and working on flavours rather than analysis and taking winemaking back to basics. Fast forward to 2019 and Dylan, along with fiancé Taryn make almost 20 different varieties, styles and blends from fruit grown in Margaret River, Ferguson Valley and The Great Southern. All made with a minimalistic winemaking approach, wild fermentation where possible and a lot of experimentation; the former to express the varietal characters, the latter to push the boundaries of conventional winemaking and produce interesting and enticing styles. “Our aim is to have fun making interesting styles of wine, explore the different sub regions in the south west, throw a dinner party here and there and get involved with other people pushing the realms of food and wine without taking ourselves too seriously” - Dylan and Taryn, LS Merchants

Winemaker: Dylan Arvidson
Contact: hello@lsmerchants.com.au
https://www.lsmerchants.com.au/

View LS Merchants Chenin Blanc here
View LS Merchants Touriga Nacional here

Amato Vino - Margaret River

“Amato Vino are small-batch artisan winemakers based in the Margaret River wine region, Western Australia.
The winemaking philosophy is ‘lo-fi’, in that we embrace wild-ferments, minimal adjustments in the winery, gentle handling. Most wines are unfined and unfiltered. We are hands-on in terms of the grunt work, the care and guidance, but with a hands off approach to the science of winemaking, using little or no inputs and employing traditional processes. An old-school approach yet with a modern flare for creativity and adventure.

Established in 2003 by owner/winemaker Brad Wehr, the labels and wine styles have continued to grow, covering traditional Margaret River varietals through to some eclectic and unusual grape varieties and winemaking methods. Our winery is located a few minutes south-west of the Margaret River township. We work with a core group of independent growers who share our philosophy, employing organic and sustainable farming practices.” - Brad Wehr

Winemaker: Brad Wehr
Contact: brad@amatovino.com.au
https://amatovino.com.au/

View Amato Vino Mantra Chardonnay here
View Amato Vino Muse Chardonnay here
View Amato Vino Muse Cabernet Sauvignon here

Gil Graves - Central Victoria

“We are Gil Graves owners Ken Gilchrist and Kaye Graves - a husband and wife team hailing from Bendigo in Central Victoria. In 2010, we purchased a 50-acre property in Axedale to start a completely new venture. Our tagline is “life is not a dress rehearsal” so we started our second careers i.e farming sheep, growing grapes, gathering farm-friendly animals and offering accommodation on our picturesque farm. A steep learning curve was the path we set for ourselves, doing most of the farm work ourselves. We farm and grow our grapes with minimal intervention principles. The farm has brought us much pleasure and occasion to seek new knowledge and develop new skills from those who know best! We engaged like-minded experts who guided us in the planting and growing of the vines and the development of our Dorper sheep flock. The vineyard of four grape varieties was planted with our own hands and the help of family and friends. We purchased high-quality Dorper sheep and rams to breed the stock up to a flock of 80. We nurture and enjoy our farm-friendly pets, chooks, our goat King Billy, alpaca Kurt and our very senior merino sheep Kevin. We believe the best wine comes when the winemaker allows nature take its course. It’s the way wine should be. That’s why our minimal-intervention wines are undisturbed, fermented using indigenous yeasts and are free from added chemicals and nasties. Minimal sulphur is added just prior to bottling. The Gil Graves vineyard is organic, without certification. “ - Ken Gilchrist and Kaye Graves

Winemaker: Tim Sproal (Boomtown Wines)
Contact: hello@gilgraves.com.au
https://gilgraves.com.au/

View Gil Graves Viognier here
View Gil Graves Sangiovese here
View Gil Graves Red Field Blend here

Rouleur Wines - Yarra Valley & McLaren Vale

“Growing up in the Yarra Valley, son of a grape grower, I guess you could say I had little choice about a career in the wine industry. My Dad, once 'Marlborough Man' and TAA airline pilot turned farmer, planted a vineyard to Pinot Noir on the Coldstream family property in1984 and set me on course toward a life in wine.
I worked vintages in local wineries as a junior and tinkered with my own wine in the shed using an old crusher-destemmer, basket press and pick bins as fermenters. My work in the vineyard continued, studying along the way and eventually tracking a path in wine sales and marketing. Not long after returning from a stint overseas, life delivered my family a considerable blow. Dad was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within 12 short months. Before he died, we had a conversation about my life and future. Dad urged me to pursue my dreams in wine and I promised that somehow, sometime, I would make wine from the vineyard we planted over 30 years ago. In 2015 I left the security of my full-time job in McLaren Vale to focus on turning my own dreams into reality. With the help of family, friends and friendly locals, I launched the Rouleur Wine Co. and fulfilled my promise to Dad with the release of our 2015 Yarra Valley, Pinot Noir.” - Matt East

Winemaker: Matt East
Contact: matt@rouleurwine.com
https://www.rouleurwine.com/

View our Rouleur Wines Rockstar Winemaker Pack here
View Rouleur Wines Yarra Valley Chardonnay here
View Rouleur Wines Yarra Valley Pinot Noir here
View Rouleur Wines McLaren Vale 100% Whole Bunch Mataro here

Koerner Wines - Clare Valley

“We grew up in the Clare Valley but have since spent time working and studying around Australia and overseas. Our wines are produced from fruit grown within a 500m radius of the Watervale area in the Clare Valley, with the majority coming from our family vineyard, Gullyview. Gullyview vineyard has been owned and managed by our parents, Christine & Anthony Koerner, for over 40 years. Our winemaking philosophy is simple – to make wines that reflect their place in the world, wines that are made in the vineyard. We believe the date of picking is the most crucial part of the process. Once the grapes make their way to the winery, they are carefully nurtured with each batch treated individually. An understanding of terroir and the individual varieties enables us to produce unique wines using nothing but the grapes and a small amount of sulphur. We are currently implementing organic practices within our vineyards. Ultimately we aim to produce wines to a style that we enjoy drinking. Generally these wines are light, fresh, textured and well structured with high drinkability. To achieve this we pick early and use a minimal intervention winemaking style. Our reds are bright, vibrant and can be enjoyed young with a great balance between primary fruit, acidity and phenolics. Our whites are aromatic, expressing primary fruit while showing mouthfeel, structure and texture. In addition to Koerner Wine, we also have two other wine labels- LEKO Wine and Brothers Koerner. LEKO is our Adelaide Hills sister brand and to date we have focussed on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Brothers is our dual region brand, with our portfolio of wines coming from both the Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills.” Jono and Damon Koerner

Winemaker: Damon Koerner
jono@koernerwine.com.au
https://koernerwine.com.au/

View Koerner Gullyview Riesling here
View Koerner Cot Malbec here

Dappled Wines - Yarra Valley

“We all have key moments or experiences in our lives that end up shaping our futures. Back in 1999, I started out on a surf trip to California, but quickly realised I also needed some occasional work to keep funding the trip. I was lucky enough at that time to have an Uncle who was also a winemaker on the central coast of California, so I started doing some work for him. That work experience quickly became a driving passion and after nearly 20 years of work and study, winemaking is well and truly my life. Over the last 12 years, I’ve held winemaker and assistant winemaker roles with small to medium producers, but have never really strayed far from my “cellar rat” roots. This love of the cellar, and the vineyard, has really instilled a traditionalist, hands-on approach to my winemaking. It was this approach that inspired me to start Dappled in 2009 with a view to make high quality, unadulterated wines from special patches of dirt at realistic prices. These wines were first and foremost for my family and friends, so a hand-crafted, minimal intervention philosophy just made perfect sense to me - and still continues today. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.” - Shaun Crinion

Winemaker: Shaun Crinion
Contact: info@dappledwines.com.au
https://www.dappledwines.com.au/

View Dappled Ullaged Chardonnay here
View Dappled Appellation Pinot Noir here
View Dappled Appellation Syrah Rose here

Alkimi Wines - Yarra Valley

Stuart's winemaking philosophy is to limit all techniques to what he calls "basic principals", where only fundamental, time-honoured methods are used to make his wine. He embraces natural acidity, wild yeasts and his wines are stabilised naturally. He does not use fining agents, rather utilising all the natural characters of each variety to create unique character and interest. Many of his wines are unfiltered and many have only minimal amounts of sulphur added and nothing else. He believes that the best wines are the purest wines; wines which reveal qualities of the grapes they were produced from. In 2017 Stuart begun farming his own vineyard. An important step for a producer who is always focused on quality and technique. He believes in creating a healthy ecology below and above ground; where he has never used herbicides and he practices some organic and sustainable techniques in his farming. Stuart has a passion for the wines of the Rhone Valley and has dedicated his entire brand to those particular varieties that are best known there. He feels the Yarra Valley has great potential for Rhone Valley varieties in the future and he is working towards putting this belief into relaity. It is only natural that the drive of Alkimi is to produce wines which pay homage to the old philosophy of winemaking, where tradition melds with the annual delivery of a vintage held in the hands of nature, artistry and sometimes synchronicity.

Winemaker: Stuart Dudine
Contact: stuart@alkimiwines.com
https://www.alkimiwines.com/

View Alkimi Marsanne here

Unico Zelo - Adelaide Hills

“Being winemakers, we're two people incredibly passionate about the soil and produce we have in Australia. It's our intent to showcase products to the rest of the world that embrace Australian native ingredients and pay homage to the indigenous custodianship who maintained the land for thousands of years. It's this passion that has driven us to start two wine labels, one that protects our farmers and another that protects our future. We've since taken these concepts and with our distillery, applewood - catapulted it into the horticultural realm - studying indigenous produce, it's beneficial effects on our land and the stories it can tell through incredible colours, flavours, and textures. We seek Australian identity in the products we craft and the services we offer. We seek ways to communicate this with an entirely new demographic. Our hope is that these Australian stories can one-day be heard on a global scale.” - Unico Zelo

Brendan and Laura Carter
info@unicozelo.com.au
https://www.unicozelo.com.au/

View Unico Zelo Fresh AF Nero d’Avola here
View Unico Zelo Jungle Jungle Dolcetto here

Fighting Gully Road - Beechworth

Mark Walpole is arguably one of Australia's greatest viticulturalists and his interest in cool climate viticulture led him from his home in the Ovens Valley to the elevated Beechworth plateau at the top of the Escarpment above the Murmungee basin. The site was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Merlot in 1997 on the lower North West facing slopes, followed by Pinot Noir in 1998 on the upper North East facing slopes at an elevation of 570 meters. In more recent years after working with fruit from this block small areas have been grafted to Shiraz, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese. The vineyard is situated on the Old Red Ordovician mudstone and shale soils which make up about half of the regions vineyard sites, producing more tannic structured wines than from the Granitic soils in the regions North. In 2009 he gained access to the Smith vineyard, located only a few minutes away from the Fighting Gully Road site. This small vineyard was planted to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1978, making it the oldest vineyard in the region. Mark is joined in the winery by Adrian Rodda and the wines being crafted are some of the most exciting in the region.

Winemaker: Mark Walpole
https://fightinggully.com.au/

View Fighting Gully Road Chardonnay here
View Fighting Gully Road Sangiovese here
View Fighting Gully Road Petit Manseng here

Sentio Wines - Beechworth et al

Chris Catlow established Sentio wines in Beechworth in 2013 after five vintages with Benjamin Leroux, seven vintages on the Mornington Peninsula with Kooyong Estate, Portsea Estate and Paringa Estate. Sandro Mosele was one of a handful of mentors driving Chris Catlow in his early years. Chris’ passion is for Chardonnay, starting with his teenage years helping Barry Morey at Sorrenberg, another mentor who inspired Chris to complete a double degree in Viticultural Science and Wine Science, setting him up for a bright future in wine.

Winemaker: Chris Catlow
Contact: chris@sentiowines.com.au
http://www.sentiowines.com.au/

View Sentio Chardonnay here

Bertrand Bespoke - Central Victoria

Bertrand started making wine with his brother Bernard in 2009, and in 2015 launched his own label . Based in Castlemaine, Central Victoria, grapes are sourced from neighbourhood vineyards, managed by vignerons with whom Bertrand collaborates. The wines are made with minimal addition, low intervention, and with respect for our environment and time. The wines fall into 3 categories : Vin de soif : to drink on its own, easy drinking; Vin de table : to drink with food, matching; Vin de meditation : to drink with words, tasting - some wines belong to all these categories.

Winemaker: Gilles Lapalus
Contact: bertrandbespoke@orange.fr
https://maisonlapalus.com/shop

View Bertrand Bespoke Pet Nat here
View Bertrand Bespoke Riesling here
View Bertrand Bespoke Rose here
View Bertrand Bespoke Grenache here
View Bertrand Bespoke Nebbiolo here

Allies Wines - Mornington Peninsula

A former Chef and Sommelier, David Chapman began Allies in 2003, whilst working at Moorooduc Estate. The first wine was just few barrels of Pinot Noir from a vineyard around the corner in Tuerong. Today, there is a bit more but the quantity is limited by the number of acres Chapman is able to manage by himself. His mission is to handcraft rich, silky and perfumed Pinot Noir, showcasing the diversity of the beautiful Mornington Peninsula through wines taken from different townships.

Region: Mornington Peninsula
Winemaker: David Chapman
Contact: david@allies.com.au
www.allies.com.au

View Allies Assemblage Pinot Noir here

Reed Wines - Central Victoria

Always an inquisitive and enthusiastic drinker, Sierra’s journey in wine began in New Zealand whilst filming with the Family of Twelve. Interviewing those leading families of New Zealand wine inspired her to change her life and begin the journey from drinker to maker. A complete immersion in winemaking followed with a rapid succession of vintages as a global nomad in Paso Robles, the Yarra Valley, the Napa Valley, the Barossa Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Central Otago, Beaujolais, France, the Grampians, the Napa Valley, Barolo, Italy, Geelong, Rheingau, Germany and Pfalz, Germany. The journey has left a series of lasting lessons, provided many inspirations and also created lifelong friendships. It led to Sierra making her first wines in February, 2015. Sierra hopes that you seek out her wines and that they bring you as much joy in the drinking as they have in the making.

Region: Heathcote, Grampians, Central Victoria
Winemaker: Sierra Reed
Contact: sierra@reedwines.com
www.reedwines.com

View Reed Knife Edge Shiraz here
View Reed Bambina Nebbiolo here