Translation missing: en.WINE FAIR: 16th of November 1pm-5pm + Aligoté + Granite Hills + Italian Tasting Saturday 9th 3pm-6pm: WINE FAIR: 16th of November 1pm-5pm + Aligoté + Granite Hills + Italian Tasting Saturday 9th 3pm-6pm
It's that time of year again!
WINE FAIR TIME!
The festival of all things vinous is back and like always it's not to be missed!
We've handpicked a whole bunch of our favourite producers and selected a range of wines that show off the very best of this seasons drinking. We've got some of our favourite winemakers and importers here to show off a huge selection of wines. There will be something here for everyone.
We will be feauturing wines from:
Eleven Sons
Bubb + Pooley
Pooley
Ravensworth
Scintilla
Laherte Freres
Champagne Jacquart
Poppelvej
Frederick Stevenson
Nadeson Collis
and we've just confirmed we will have Will Gilbert from Gilbert Family Wines joining us plus we will be showing the new releases from Somos, Lucy M and a selection of imports from Melbourne based importer Foreign Fruits!
Rain, hail or shine, it won't stop us from putting on a good time.Tickets are just $40 and include a Riedel tasting glass, yours to take home.
Aligoté
Aligoté - Burgundy's "other" white grape has flown under the radar for far too long, yet is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in the last few years. A group of growers in Burgundy that call themselves "Les Aligoteurs" have been paramount in championing the indigenous grape and helping it realise its true potential.
Aligoté is high in acid, light-bodied and often displays aromas and flavours of citrus, apple, peach, white flowers and a spicy herb-like element. Aligoté pairs wonderfully with lighter seafood dishes, salads or soft cheeses.
Due to this being the overlooked white grape of Burgundy as well as the fact that it can only bare the regional "Bourgogne" appellation rather than any village, Premier Cru or Grand Cru labels, these wines tend to be relatively cheap and offer great value as far as Burgundy prices go. Prices are slowly starting to climb though so don't hesitate on these before they start to follow suit with the rest of Burgundy!Granite Hills
As their name suggests, Granite Hills are located on the granite-strewn northern slopes of the Macedon Ranges. Granite Hills are a family-run winery with over half a century's experience crafting cool-climate wines with a strong sense of place. In the late '60s, Gordon Knight took a huge risk in establishing a vineyard by selling off some of his farmland in the wake of the declining profitability of sheep farming. We can safely say now that this risk has paid off.
The winemaking philosophy at Granite Hills is to coax the most pronounced flavours from classic grape varieties, producing complex cool-climate wines with a fantastic aging capacity.
"At Granite Hills, the vineyard tells a story of evolution, resilience, and the artistry of crafting distinctive wines."
The first plantings in the vineyard in 1970 were to the classic grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Riesling and eventually expanded to 6 hectares. Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer arrived shortly after. Some other classics such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Chardonnay joined the team and since 2011, grapes varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Gamay Noir, Gruner Veltliner, and a touch of Malbec have been planted with success too. Granite Hills have been a staple producer of the Macedon Ranges, far before it was trendy and have been credited with making the first "peppery Shiraz" and Victoria's best Riesling.
We just bought in 3 of their whites that we're excited about and keen to show you all. The '23 Riesling is their most classic white wine, as I said before, considered to be one of the best in Victoria while remaining very affordable. We also have the '23 Pinot Blanc and '23 Grüner Veltliner - high acid, mineral-driven white wines that thrive in these cooler climates. These are compelling wines that display excellent varietal character and would pair beautifully with Asian or spicy food. Granite Hills are one of Macedon's most important, yet underrated producers, don't miss out on these especially at these great prices!Italian Wine
In-Store Tasting
Saturday 9th 3pm-6pm
Join us this Saturday for a tasting with Mattia from Vino Mito pouring some new lo-fi Italian wines! We will announce the full lineup in our Thursday email as well as on our Instagram page later this week so keep your eyes out for further updates.