ROB MACK’S PASSION IS GRENACHE AND MATARO. AS RIEDEL’S “2018 YOUNG GUN OF WINE,” HE MAKES STUNNING WINES MADE IN MINUSCULE AMOUNTS. WITH BOTH A HANDS-OFF APPROACH IN THE VINEYARD (NATURAL COVER CROPS AND COMPOST IN THE VINEYARDS) AND NON-INTERVENTIONIST WINEMAKING IN THE CELLAR, HIS WINES SING.
NEIL PRENTICE IS A SHEEP AND WAGYU BEEF FARMER PRACTICING “POST-PUNK” WINEMAKING. EARLY IN HIS LIFE, HE FELL IN LOVE WITH SOME OF THE GREAT BIODYNAMIC WINES OF FRANCE; LATER, WITH GRAVNER. AS HE DESCRIBES IT, MUCH LIKE THE SEX PISTOLS’ 1976 MANCHESTER FREE TRADE CONCERT INFLUENCED FUTURE POST-PUNK BANDS (BUZZCOCKS, JOY DIVISION, THE SMITHS), GRAVNER “BREG” INFLUENCES HIS WINEMAKING. IT’S ALL IN THE SPIRIT. AND HIGH IN THE HILLS OF GIPPSLAND, HIS LIVESTOCK WANDER HIS VINEYARDS, KEEPING THE GRASS DOWN AND ADDING NATURAL FERTILIZER. HE FARMS BIODYNAMICALLY, AND ALWAYS HAS, AS HIS UNCLE DID, BEFORE EITHER ONE OF THEM EVEN KNEW WHAT IT WAS.
“Holly’s Garden” Brut Rose NV
ALEX SHERRAH HAS SEEN AND DONE IT ALL IN MCLAREN VALE. AS A CLASSICALLY TRAINED WINEMAKER, AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GRAPE-GROWING AND WINEMAKING COMMUNITY, HE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE FARMING AND RESOURCE PRESERVATION IN MCLAREN VALE FOR HIS ENTIRE CAREER. HE IS HIGHLY REGARDED BY BOTH THE OLD-GUARD AND THE NEW GENERATIONS, AND FOR GOOD REASON. HE MAKES GREAT WINES FROM HEALTHY VINEYARDS.
DAN STANDISH IS A 6TH GENERATION BAROSSA GRAPE-GROWER, A BIOCHEMIST AND A METICULOUS WINEMAKER. DAN CRAFTS BRILLIANT WINES FROM 4 ORGANICALLY AND BIODYNAMICALLY-FARMED VINEYARDS UP TO 160 YEARS IN AGE. IN DAN’S OWN WORDS, HIS PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE, “I LIKE TO MAKE WINES AS THEY WERE MADE THREE, FOUR, FIVE-HUNDRED YEARS AGO.” IN THE VINEYARDS, ONLY COMPOST IS ADDED. IN THE CELLAR, HAND-PICKED, FOOT-STOMPED GRAPES SEE EXTENDED SKIN CONTACT (2 MONTHS) BEFORE GOING INTO BARRIQUE “GROSS LESS” FOR 24 MONTHS. TOPPED OFF ONLY TWICE A YEAR, ANAEROBIC MACERATION AND FERMENTATION PROTECT THE WINE AND REQUIRE NO ADDITIONS. FINALLY, HE SELECTS ONLY THE TOP 30% OF HIS WINES TO BOTTLE UNFINED/UNFILTERED, WITH WORLD-CLASS RESULTS.
STUART PROUD EXEMPLIFIES HEALTHY FARMING. OVERSEEING 1000 ACRES OF SOME OF THE MOST BIODIVERSE LAND IN AUSTRALIA, STUART IS KNOWN AS MUCH FOR HIS VITICULTURE AS HIS WINEMAKING, AND IT’S THE LAND THAT COMES THROUGH IN HIS WINES. HE IS A FARMER FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND IT SHOWS IN HIS WINES.
DAVID BOWLEY MAKES WINES THAT ARE, “FUN ON THE OUTSIDE; SERIOUS IN THE BOTTLE.” AT 500 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN THE ADELAIDE HILLS, VINTELOPER IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS BURGEONING WINE REGION, WHERE PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN WINES ARE BEING BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER. EXCELLENT PRODUCE FROM COOL CLIMES, OUR SHARED PHILOSOPHY OF HEALTHY FARMING, AND BOUNDARY-PUSHING WINEMAKING IS FULLY ON DISPLAY IN THESE SERIOUS(LY) FUN WINES.
“Park Wine” Gewurtztraminer
Riesling