Hanging out with the cellar crew after a
particularly long shift, we had an impromptu blind tasting. As our intern reached for his first glass, he inadvertently grabbed the boss, who said,

“What’s this, mate? You tasting wine, or FRISKING me?”

Nervous laughter all around.

He eventually located his glass, and claimed he liked the way it “prickled his palate.” We had a taste for ourselves, and agreed. Looked to the boss, who also agreed. Winery intern redeemed.

Relieved laughter all around.

And so it was that hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars were not spent trying to come up with a name for our new wine.
It sounds right; it feels right.

And the boss went for it, which is the gold ticket, right?

Who are you people?

We’ve been called “mavericks,” “young guns,” and a lot of other things we can’t print for fear our mums will see, but basically, we’re an eclectic team of winemakers who believe wine is for enjoying. Period. Full stop.

We don’t try to baffle you with terms you’ve never heard of. We just make delicious wine with a unique prickle to it. If it tastes a bit like nectarines, we tell you “this tastes a bit like nectarines.” If it tastes a little like limes, or minerals? That’s what we’ll say. But when it comes down to it, we think reading about wine is like painting about music.

You should probably go try some at this point. We really do hope you enjoy it. We’d hate to have to get real jobs.

That’s Not An Alp. This Is An Alp.

In the 1850’s, Italian immigrants happened upon Australia and said: “This isn’t Pismo Beach at all. You got us lost didn’t you?” Being sick to death of sailing and having not much else to do, they started climbing. And climbing. And eventually ended up in what is now known as The Alpine Valleys, which are nestled snugly into the foot of the Victorian Alps.

With lofty slopes climbing to 2000 feet, the mountaintops see snow in winter and punch through clouds to nab a slice of sunshine in summer.

Meandering valleys have been sculpted by the ancient flow of four local rivers -
Ovens, Buffalo, Buckland, and Kiewa - making for a hefty dump of granite loam and one confusing topo map.

Alas, our seasoned hikers weren’t confused; they saw potential and promptly sent home for a few of the indigenous grape varieties they’d left behind. Turns out the Dolcetto shaped up pretty well over time, blending perfectly with juicy Merlot fruit for an invigorating red. As for the Riesling that found its way into the mix, it’s so minerally you’d be forgiven for thinking you were gnawing away on a rock.

Generations later, the locals are quite fond of their little slice of italy in Victoria.
We think you’ll feel similarly about the wines.

Like Johnny and June, our
Sprightly Riesling and Soulful Dolcetto
are a dynamic duo who'll as happily soak
up the limelight as chill out in an
icebox together.

They'll get you through any dull reunion.