May is Australian Wine Month; where we celebrate Australian wine. To be fair, I think most of us drink Australian wine every month. As is tradition, we will dig a little deeper and look at three wineries from three classic regions that show three distinct personalities of Australian wine. We will meet up at Beneath Driver Lane with three producers who are making great wine.

The Producers

Yelland & Papps – Barossa Valley

It is a story about new beginnings; a young couple, with a young family, forging their own path within a wine region as first generation winegrowers. As you may expect, they are not steeped in (or weighed down by) tradition, so they are creating their own style. Lighter, earlier picked wines with personalities that build in the glass. Fascinating and engaging to drink.

Vermentino

Vin de Soif Grenache Blend

Second Take Grenache

Devote Shiraz

Delatite – Mansfield

A family run vineyard and winery at the base of Mt Buller. The main vineyard was planted 1968 and the winery established in 1982.They’re committed to following Bio-dynamic and sustainable agricultural practices.

The whites are made in the true Alsace tradition and for a long time have been a beacon as what Australian producers should be doing with them. The addition of the Yarra Valley range proves their skills stretch beyond aromatic whites.

Riesling

Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Yarra Valley Pinot Noir

Hells Window ‘amber’

Merricks Estate – Mornington Peninsula

Estate grown wines, aged in the cellar before release. The original vineyard was established in 1982 and allows for the production of beautiful wines made from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. More than a few of you took up my recommendation of their Thompsons Lane Shiraz, and will know they make a stunning wine and they are a steal.

Rosé

Estate Pinot Noir

Thompsons Lane Shiraz

Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The Venue

Beneath Driver Lane will be opening their hidden laneway bar – behind the iconic GPO – to allow you to taste a great range of wines with a little bit of charcuterie and cheese to match. Once you’re ensconced at Beneath Driver Lane you’ll want to hang around and further immerse yourself in their world of Blues, cocktails, French bar food and epic wine. The best part is you can stay until till very late.

What to Expect at this tasting

There will be three producers showing four wines each. I suggest you arrive right at 2pm to maximise your time. Each winery will be represented by the winemaker or someone who gets their hands dirty, so you can experience first-hand the passion behind these wines.

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

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.