May is Aussie wine month… though to be fair, every month is a great time to drink Aussie wine. It is nice to have a time for everyone in the industry to celebrate and exalt the great work of our local producers.

By any standards Australia makes great wine.

The range of wine available within the country is expanding at a rapid rate. Without the restrictive appellation laws that much of Europe is bound by, Australian winemakers can experiment with as many techniques, styles and varieties as they can get their hands on or heads around. Surely our reputation for ‘sunshine in a bottle’ is being superseded with more focus on light and shade, brightness and depth. For adventurous drinkers like myself it is wonderful time and of course, there are always the old favourites around too.

Let’s enjoy it.

Last year we enjoyed a state of origin style tasting and the year before it was a showcase of Victorian producers who were relatively unknown but making amazing wines. This year we are going to look at the producers I drink at home. They will come from all over our country but there will be a strong representation of Victorian wines because I love what we are doing here.

Roll Call

You.
Me.
Rob Hall – Yarra Valley. Rob Hall joined the Kellybrook team after spending almost 10 years at Mount Mary. Then he was keen to spread his wings and try some new and interesting things with wines. Since Rob has access to his family’s vineyard near Healesville he decided to give it a run and see what happens. His staples of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are made for younger drinking, offer great quality and value. Experiments with other styles, varieties and quality levels have all proved delicious.
Willem Kurt – Beechworth, Alpine Valleys. Daniel Balzer is a lovely man who has been making wine since 1998. By working at big and small companies he found his feet and developed a philosophy that is timeless; start with healthy grapes from a great vineyard and don’t do anything mess it up. Having tried a few vintages I think he’s doing a stunning job..
Out Of Step – Yarra Valley, Pyrenees. Small batches from single sites and two winemakers who just love what they do. Their range is ever expanding and only ever lovely to drink.
Terre a Terre – Wrattonbully (South Australia). French for ‘Down To Earth”, the wines are from 8 hectare in Wrattonbully (near Coonawarra). Made with French sensibilities in Australia, I am a huge fan.
Tapanappa – Adelaide Hills, Wrattonbully, Fleurieu Peninsula.  Brian Croser’s ability to pick vineyard sites should be heritage listed. These wines are sheer quality and class, some of the best in Australia.

What to Expect at this tasting.

A lot of wine. Maybe as many as 18 wines. There will be about six producers showing three wines each. Arrive right at 2pm to maximise your time there. Where possible each winery will be represented by the winemaker or someone who gets their hands dirty. It is harder with the interstate producers to make this happen.

There will be finger food to nibble on while we taste.

I have two goals for these events. 1. To share lovely wine with you. 2. To educate you on the wine world and demystify it.

The environment is casual and friendly.  There is no need to know anything about wine and you are welcome, nay, encouraged to ask as many questions as pop into your head.

You can bring as many friends as you can muster.

All for the bargain price of $20 per head.