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Old world charm brings gold rush era pub back to life in Geelong

Words by Richard Cornish
Images supplied

Ambergris has opened in Geelong bringing a touch of early 20th-century gentlemen’s club to Moorabool Street.

The old gold rush era building was built in 1856 from handmade brick with woodwork made from Tasmanian Huon pine. You’re met at the panelled oak doors by the dapper owner and maître d’ David Ellis, resplendent with his waxed moustache and rock-star cool.

You’re offered a seat in the front of the bar, made from pressed black tin topped with polished hardwood. With its emerald-backed gantry and brass trim, it has a distinct old-world air. Counteries include homemade sausages and wagyu heel korma with rice.

Out back are two dining rooms with hardwood tables set with fine stemware and solid cutlery. The smaller dining room has an open fire and the larger L-shaped dining room with a padded chesterfield couch looks out onto the green courtyard. In the kitchen is Jackson Wilde who kicked off his career at Tonka and Coda in Melbourne’s CBD. He has spent the past few years at Hotel High Plains in Dinner Plain in the snow working with wood and smoky BBQ meats and will be installing his bespoke charcoal and hardwood grill in the kitchen within a few weeks. Wilde has combed the local countryside and harbours to find the best local produce with which to create the compact menu of six entrees, five mains and three desserts.

Kick off with golden crisp croquettes, filled with a velvety bechamel enriched with Bellarine truffles and mushrooms or morsels of Moreton Bay bug skewered and scorched and dripping with butter. Western Plains pork belly gets a run, teamed up with pippies and the rich tang of XO. Look out for a dry-aged Angus Scotch fillet from O’Connors with classic potatoes dauphinoise and a lip-smackingly rich mushroom sauce. Chef Wilde has snuck on a parmie under the guise of free-range chicken breaded in crushed saladas and topped with an insanely good Napoli and topped with a cheese fondant.

Don’t stop. Keep going. For there is a luscious and decadent sticky fig pudding with butterscotch sauce and a simple, fair dinkum, apple pie. Being Geelong there is a bent towards Bellarine and Geelong wines on the list but some top tier drops from other Victorian cool climate regions.

THE DETAILS

What: Great new pub with old-style charm in the heart of Geelong
Where: 189 Moorabool Street, Geelong
When: Fri-Tue 3pm-9pm
Who: Good mates Chef Jackson Wilde and Maitre d’ and owner David Ellis
Why: A pub with an open fire, chesterfield couch and lamb shoulder or dry-aged beef
More Info: Ambergris Hotel

We wish to acknowledge the Wadawurrung people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Our guide to exploring Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula

Words by Gwen O'Toole
Images Mike Emmett

From heart-pounding adventures to award-winning wineries, family adventures, natural escapes, culinary indulgences and so much more, visiting Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula is certain to satisfy any type of traveller.

Wander the laneways and tuck into delicious cafes, enjoy a locally made craft beer in the sunshine at Little Creatures or a tasting paddle at the Queenscliff Distillery. Indulge in a bit of retail therapy in Hesse Precinct Queenscliff; a historic street packed with boutique homewares shops, bookstores, clothing, gifts, eateries and more.

Alternatively explore local wineries and fine dining at the award-winning Provenance Wines where head chef Nathan McIver will make your senses explode with his take on modern Australian cuisine featuring considered, local and seasonal ingredients. Likewise, pack your appetite because La Cachette Bistrot is a fine dining experience worth travelling for. If you’ve got a sweet tooth or you’re travelling with kids, make a stop at Scandinavian Ice cream Co for a real treat.

Bring an empty esky and visit the farm gates and gourmet provedores, there’s no way that esky will come home empty.

Feeling outdoorsy? The Portarlington waterfront is an ideal day at the beach with cafes and accommodation steps away. The recreational reserve area here offers a dog-friendly area, picnic spots, playgrounds and the like. Alternatively, Buckley Falls is a scenic spot to stand in awe of the cascading water into the Barwon River.

There are walking trails here with plenty of spots to stop and take in the view. While you’ve got your comfy walking shoes on, take a stroll along the tracks at the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. Built in 1902, the lighthouse is still manned today. Walking tracks circle the lighthouse and extend down the rocky headland to the beach below.

Feeling nostalgic? The Bellarine Railway in Queenscliff has heritage train rides and special events for kids including Thomas the Tank Engine-themed days and serves as the boarding location for the gourmet Q Train dining experience as well as the popular Blues Train.

Why not stay and explore? While both Geelong and the Bellarine are close enough to make for a great day trip, there’s plenty here to keep you discovering something new and exciting every day. Book your stay at any one of the incredible range of accommodation options from boutique B&Bs to serviced apartments suiting couples, families and even your pooch at the R Hotel. It’s also only a 5-minute walk to the beach!

Families might also enjoy the range of options at BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Queenscliff Beacon, it’s perfectly positioned across the road from the beach, at the entrance to Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula. From villas to apartments and campsites, there’s an option for all types of travellers and it features all the facilities Big4 are known for including a tennis court, playground, indoor heated pool, the famous Big4 jumping pillows and more.

Getting There:

Getting to Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula is easy. Geelong is just an hour’s drive from Melbourne and you can continue to the Bellarine just another 20-30 minutes onward along the coastlines, weaving through views of Port Phillip Bay and rolling vineyards.
Alternatively, hop on a V/Line train from Melbourne’s South Cross Station and make your way straight to Geelong. Ferry services also operate between Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, as well as Portarlington on the Bellarine Peninsula or Geelong Central and Docklands in Melbourne.

 

 

Appearing in videos:

Basils Farm
La Cachette
Geelong Cellar Door
R Hotel
Proveance Wines
The Range @ Curlewis
Ingenia Beacon Queenscliff
Portarlington Grand Hotel
The Bookshop at Queenscliff
Bellarine Distillery / The Whiskery
National Wool Museum
Little Creatures

The Blues Train just announced their fresh lineup for 2023

After a sell-out season this spring, The Blues Train is set to depart in 2023, with a host of fresh blues and roots talent on board.

Australia’s longest-running dedicated Blues and Roots venue, the iconic Blues Train, which runs along the Bellarine Peninsula, is turning over a new leaf and embracing the future of homegrown talent with their special Next Generation Concert Series, returning in 2023.

The series has been confirmed for several dates in January, February and March—with more to be announced soon—after its incredible success in the latter half of 2022. It’s the first time The Blues Train has turned its gaze towards up-and-coming local musicians, providing a platform for both established and emerging acts to play alongside one another; albeit it in separate carriages.

The Blues Train founder and curator Hugo T Armstrong said, “I was amazed at how quickly the Next Generation Concert Series sold out, proof of the appetite there is for Blues Train regulars and contemporary blues and roots lovers in general to hear emerging artists in the scene perform.”

Throughout 29 years of Blues Train rides, some of the best local and international blues musicians have played in the region, many of whom will be returning to accompany the fresh faces. Established artists back on the tracks for 2023 include Jimi Hocking, George Kamikawa, The McNaMarr Project, Damon Smith, Anna Scionti and Brian Fraser.

This season, however,  is all about the newfangled. Billed to perform are 2020 International Blues Challenge Finalist Aaron Pollock, Ocean Grove’s family of musicians The Von Robertsons, duo Miss Lou’s Blues, blues singer/songwriter and guitarist Jonno Zilber, blues guitarist and singer Jarrod Shaw and the mesmerising Willie J & the Bad Books.  For some artists, like blues guitarist Kathleen Halloran and Texas born/former New York local Bret Mosley, it will be their first time plucking strings on the Blues Train, though it’s unlikely to be their last.

“Finding the right balance of high-profile artists, while still providing the opportunity for emerging artists to gain employment and profile, combined with valuable gig experience is a real challenge – and I am so pleased to know that we have hit the mark,” Armstrong said.

Kicking off it’s journey in Queenscliff, the Blues Train meanders in it’s classic, steam-train style across the Bellarine Peninsula, skirting edges of the coast and through the country brush. As per tradition, four different acts—a soloist, a duo, a trio and a full band—bring their blues grooves to the carriage. Punters can sit, stand, or boogie as the iron horse journeys onward. Pit stops at stations allow the patrons to shuffle into the next carriage where the next act awaits.

It’s a full evening—the train pulls back into Queenscliff station at 11.30pm—so a layover is necessary. Just a short drive from Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula has plenty of quality accommodation options for a weary head. Why not make a weekend of it and discover all that Bellarine Peninsula has to offer: from tasting trails to panoramic views of the ocean. 

Tickets for the Blues Train shows are available now, and are strictly limited. The inspector is blowing their whistle; better hurry!

THE DETAILS
WHAT: The Blues Train: Next Generation Concert Series
WHERE: Queenscliff
WHEN: April 2023 now on sale (more dates to be announced soon)
MORE INFO: The Blues Train

Healesville’s Barrique Wine Store gets new owners and big summer plans

Words by Gwen O'Toole
Images supplied

Mike and Claire Emmett have been providing packaging design and photography services to Victorian small winemakers, brewers and distillers for 20-plus years. Their latest venture sees them take the reins of Barrique Wine Store, an iconic bottle shop in the centre of Healesville.

The proudly-independent boutique shop is set amid Healesville’s cafes and shopping and makes finding that perfect bottle so much easier. With more than 400 bottles of local wines, imported wines, craft beers, and locally distilled as well as imported spirits, you’re just as likely to find a new favourite as you are to finally find that obscure craft beer you just can’t find anywhere else.

What was once an ice cream shop has been transformed into a bottle shop where visitors are encouraged to browse and get inspired by something new. Previous owners Brendon Chandler and Simone Knight took ownership of Barrique, assisting in keeping Victorians in good spirits (no pun intended) during Victoria’s COVID lockdowns.

“They served the locals quite well with the 5km limit and free delivery,” says the new owner of Barrique Wine Store, Mike Emmett who together with partner Claire, has now taken the reins as Brendon begins a new venture with the launch of wine label Ruby K.

Mike, whose been a regular photographer for One Hour Out since its beginnings in 2018 will be using his well-honed skills in photography, publishing and design within the wine industry to become a liaison between wineries, winemakers and wine lovers helping them find the perfect drop by “telling great stories”.

“Not so much the technical side of wine but the stories behind it and why people make wine,” he adds. “Local winemakers have been super supportive, not just because they want their wines on the shelves but I want their wines on the shelves so I can tell their stories.”

The new space, which Mike calls “a wine store with a wine bar feel” also offers an excellent spot for tasting events every Friday, allowing punters to discover something new every time they visit. Friday tasting wines are listed out for the week allowing shoppers to taste them throughout the week so that even if they can’t make a Friday night, they won’t ever need to miss out on the tasting.

Mike and Claire have renovated the shop to create a wine bar atmosphere that’s inviting and encourages patrons to sit and enjoy a drink, all “centred around the Yarra Valley and the people who make amazing wines here.”

You can sit right in the window and have a glass of wine anytime we’re open.

Mike says adding that when the garden renovations at the rear of the shop are complete early next year that space will also be available for tastings and just enjoying a glass of wine in the summer sunshine. With plans to offer locally sourced food also on the menu in partnership with local eateries, it’ll no doubt continue to be a local favourite.

The Details

What: Wine store
Where: 260 Maroondah Highway, Healesville
When: Now open
More Info: Barrique Wine Store

We wish to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Everything you need to know about the MFWF Gippsland takeover

Words by Tehya Nicholas
Images supplied

Each year, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival celebrates the produce and the people that make eating in Victoria great. But it’s not just merrymaking in the CBD. As part of this years Regional Edition, the festival is pitching up in Gippsland’s tiny town of Thorpdale for one weekend of food, fun and wonder.

You may not have heard of Thorpdale. Home to just 180 humans (and a few more potatoes), you’d be forgiven. But when MFWF comes rolling in on Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 November, there’ll be nowhere in the state with as much culinary star power. The grassy hamlet will host two very full days of activities, demonstrations and tastings, with some of the biggest and brightest stars in Victoria and Australia’s culinary scene. So strap yourself in for our full rundown of this weekend of indulgence.

The Village Feast

First stop on this extravaganza: The Village Feast. This is the “umbrella event” from which all good things flow. This ticketed event—purchased as individual day passes via the MFWF website—is almost like a country fair, but with next level food and drink. Punters can stroll through the 19th Century town (which we hear has been given a fresh lick of paint), stop by the various pop-ups, markets, and stalls to fill up their tummies and tote bags with top-tier produce.

An exceptional array of Gippsland food, wines, beers, ciders and spirits will be flowing across the day and across locations. Beloved Argentinian-born, Gippsland-championing chef Alejandro Saravia from Farmer’s Daughters and Victoria will be dishing up his deli classics with a twist. Danielle Alvarez, former head chef of Sydney’s Fred’s restaurant, will be slinging her famous choripan, a decadent hot-chorizo-on-a-bun type situation. Tasmanian chef and How Wild Things Are author Analiese Gregory will be cooking up a storm on the grill. While Trout tartare with Baw Baw wild herbs and gaufrette potatoes will be grilling on charcoal under the guidance of Hogget chef Trevor Perkins.

And that’s just for starters. There’ll be desserts and other sweet treats made by the talented Patti Chimkire from Mali Bakes. Gippsland wines will be poured by the experts at a pop-up wine bar inside the former general store. And some of Thorpdale’s homegrown heroes are set to be baking pies and potato bread at the Thorpdale Bakery.

Of course, no day in Gippsland would be complete without sampling some of the region’s famous dairy. Sallie Jones from Gippsland Jersey is at the helm, accompanied by The Fromagerie by Loch Grocer and That’s Amore Cheese to dole out milkshakes, cheese platters and cannoli.

While you let the food settle, you can head off to one of many Meet the Maker booths dotted around the main drag to learn about the region’s produce from the growers and makers including a paint n sip’ express workshops from acclaimed Gippsland artist Lucy Hersey. Or try your hand at creating a bouquet at a flower market setup by the ladies from Pepperberry Flora and Quite Contrary Flower Farm .

The Community Table, hosted by our very own Richard Cornish, will bring together chefs, farmers and special guests to share their knowledge. Hands-on experiences are encouraged.

Live Music

No country fair is complete without live music, so MFWF has partnered with Always Live to corral a hoard of talented acts to play across the The Village Feast.

Saturday 19th features Grace Cummings, a folk-rock musician whose recent album has earned her a global audience. Her set comes mid-afternoon at 2.15pm. Also featured across the day: avant-garde electronic duo Tim Shiel and Mindy Meng Wang, South Gippsland-born singer-songwriter William Blackley, and epic jazz eight-piece Jazzparty.

The darling of Triple j, Mia Wray, whose powerful voice has seen her indie-pop ballads skyrocket in popularity, is playing a mid-afternoon set on Sunday 20 November. Also on Sunday, Melbourne’s cult band Dorsal Fins, now a trio, are playing their horn-infused funk-pop at 2.15pm. They’re supported by Pirritu, proud Wangaaypuwan mayi of the Ngiyampaa clan, whose songs are stories: sad and sweet. And Australia’s answer to HAIM, Little Quirks, is playing a folk-pop set at 1pm.

The Village Feast Weekender

If all this excitement has got you thinking “I need to book accommodation in Gippsland and stretch this out for a full weekend” you are in good hands. The festival has organised four extra food and wine adventures to max out your weekend. Breakfast, lunches, dinners prepared by the most celebrated chefs are now available to book.

On the evening of Friday 18 November, Embla x Hogget Kitchen is kicking off the feast with a mighty city-country collab in Warragul. Dave Verheul is joining his country cousin Trevor Perkins to create a fresh, flame-grilled, farm-to-table feast. Enjoyed in stand-up, family-style way, this romp will leave your belly full and eager to enjoy the rest of the festival.

The Gippsland Farmers’ Grazing Brunch will ease you into Saturday morning. A general admission ticket will see you enter the Warragul Farmers’ Market at the leafy Civic Park and sample some of the regions spoils at the hot breakfast buffet and grazing tables.

An epic lunch is set to be served at Thorpdale Town Hall on Saturday, with Provenance, Fire & Wine by Alejandro Saravia. The celebrated chef, whose love for Gippsland produce is evident at his restaurant CBD Farmer’s Daughter, is cooking a five-course menu over a campfire. A scrumptious blend of European technique, his Latin American heritage, and the finest Gippsland produce, this is one not to be missed.

Seize the last day of the festival with Wake Up With A Winemaker where wine from A.R.C Wines, Bandicoot Run, Cannibal Creek Vineyard, Fleet Wines and Lightfoot Wines are poured by the winemakers themselves, alongside a European-style breakfast banquet. Arranged by one of Gippsland’s most charming eateries Meeniyan’s Trulli Pizzeria & Bakehouse, there will be fresh pastries, charcuterie, cheese, bacon and egg burgers, breakfast focaccia, yoghurts and fruit.

Tickets for each event are selling fast and accommodation options are also filling up quickly. You can head to Visit Gippsland or Airbnb to find available spaces.

THE DETAILS
WHAT: Village Feast & The Village Feast Weekender from MFWF
WHERE: Gippsland
WHEN: Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November
TICKETS: $32 Early Bird price / $45 Full Price 
MORE INFO: Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

We wish to acknowledge the Gunaikurnai people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

All Saints new multi-million dollar cellar opens in Rutherglen

Words by Richard Cornish
Images supplied

It is a stunning addition to Victoria’s wine culture. A beautifully designed and executed cellar door inside the historic 1864 castle at the winery by the banks of the Murray at Wahgunyah.

Guests to the new cellar door follow a concrete walkway to the smooth and soft-lit bullnose timber-topped terrazzo tasting bar. Behind the bar are the exposed walls of handmade bricks and the old supporting timbers and beams. A suspended modern fireplace sits in one corner and the All Saints Wines line the cabinets on the walls.

Like many Victorian wineries, the Brown Family who own the winery have chosen the curated format of wine tasting, which gives a slow and respectful experience where true wine lovers can get to really know the wines. Guests are asked to choose between the Estate Tasting, Family Cellar Tasting and Muscat Experience.

The entry-level Estate Tasting costs $15 and features classic varieties sourced from carefully selected sites. Curated with approachability in mind, including a few fortified options, for a great introduction to what the estate and the region offer.

The $45 Family Cellar Tasting is a small pour, five wine access to limited-release wines that are hand-crafted using traditional winemaking techniques with fruit from old vineyards. Then there is the $60 Muscat Experience, a deep dive into the dark and delicious fortified wines for which the Rutherglen region is famous around the world.

We are waiting with bated breath for the opening of the much-anticipated new restaurant KIN to replace the much-loved All Saints Terrace. KIN will have a new chef, a new menu and a dining room with stunning views across the vineyards and duckpond. KIN could be open before Christmas, but we will let you know as soon as we get word.

THE DETAILS

Where: All Saints Estate, 205 All Saints Road, Wahgunyah
When: Now
Why: Stunning new cellar door
More Info: All Saints Estate

We wish to acknowledge the Yorta Yorta people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

SenseFest: A mind-blowing festival combining food, wine, music and art

Words by Richard Cornish
Images Supplied

This is a mind-blowing festival that combines food, wine, music and art and questions how we perceive those experiences all by examining how our senses work.

It’s the brainchild of Berlin-based Hong Kong Canadian piano virtuoso Avan Yu. A lover of the Yarra Valley and its wines he workshopped a three-day festival with local chefs, winemakers and artists to create an event that goes beyond the consumption of food, wine and music.

SenseFest is immersive, exploratory and a lot of high-level fun. “It seems to me that there could be a lot more involved in an event, rather than people just sitting there and listening to music,” says Avan. “All our senses are more or less engaged all the time, and it can be really rewarding to consider how these various stimuli interact and work together.”

The three-day event will be held at Seville Estate with four performances in the Seville Estate Barrel-room by Avan Yu showcasing his own talents and exploring the capabilities of a Fazioli grand piano, where he’ll be joined on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon by highly-regarded local musicians Wilma Smith (violin) and Zoe Knighton (cello).

They’ll be playing evocative 19th and early 20th-century compositions selected especially for their capacity to stimulate the imagination. In two successive concerts on Saturday afternoon, Avan Yu will perform the entire repertoire of Maurice Ravel’s works for solo piano—a feat not previously attempted in Australia, and equivalent to a double marathon.

Australia’s premier wine writer Max Allen takes centre stage on Sunday 20th November. The highly-esteemed author, academic, journalist and mandolin player Max Allen takes participants through a sensory exploration of subjectivity, involving 6 related but unique episodes of live music, different wines, and on-the-spot art-making, interrogating the interplay between our thoughts, our feelings, and our senses.

With food and wine for sale between events, this is a beautiful location for a stunning and elevated event.

THE DETAILS:

What: Multi-Sensory Food, Wine, Music, Art, Environmental Festival
Where: Seville Estate, 65 Linwood Road, Seville
When: November 18-20
Why: Mind-blowing event for eaters, drinkers and thinkers
More Info: SenseFest

We wish to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

The Stanley Pub reopens with high-end, Asian-inspired menu

Words by Richard Cornish
Images Supplied

Up in Victoria’s North East, in the historic gold mining town of Stanley, is an old pub with ancient wisteria vines clinging to the veranda. The Stanley Pub has been serving locals and visitors since she first opened her doors in 1854.

During the late 1990s, this gold rush era boozer became a gastronomic destination, where food tourists would book a room and a table and make a weekend of it.

The news that restaurant impresario Peter Bartholomew, the man behind MoVida and Lee Ho Fook had bought the pub along with Beechworth chef Michael Ryan sure had tongues talking.

This week, after months of renovations and rejuvenation, the Stanley is open for business once more.

The new licensee is local chef Sally Wright. She is an accomplished chef who started her career in pubs running the kitchen in the halcyon days of the Argot and Alexandra hotels in South Yarra.

Recently she has been wowing locals with her catering company Taste Trekkers, and for the last months has been working up a menu for the Stanley.

The old pub retains its ochre yellow exterior but inside, it is a wonderland of antiques with a warm gothic bohemian feel.

The wine has been put together by local consultant Stephanie Eyles and consists of 40% local wines, 30% Australian, and the remainder wines of the world.

The menu is a joyful expression of Sally’s love of Asian food. The karage chicken is served with burdock, contract grown for her by a local co-operative of vegetable growers. There could be the classic Indonesian snack of ikan bilis – crunchy hot anchovies with peanuts mixed up with pork crackling.

In what is set to become a signature dish is a soft, white bread sandwich filled with slowly braised smoked pork hock that has been formed into a flat croquette, crumbed, and fried until crisp and golden.

There are red and green curries, tempura fried fish with yuzu, and miso tartare.

Sally is not re-booting the accommodation, instead focusing on the new produce and wine store opening in spring and the sprawling garden that will be ready for summer.

THE DETAILS:

WHAT: Top-end Asian-inspired gastro pub food
WHERE: Stanley Pub, 6-12 Myrtleford-Stanley Rd, Stanley
WHEN: From August 18

 

We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Wayward Winery to open doors in the Pyrenees

Images Supplied

A sprawling new vineyard and accompanying restaurant, function space, accommodation and cellar door is set to open up its doors over the coming months along the gateway of the Pyrenees Wine Region.

The project of Ballarat wonderpreneur Teddy Powlett, Wayward is situated just 20 minutes down the road from the city in the quaint township of Waubra.

‘It’s the first winery as you hit the gorgeous Pyrenees Wine Region,’ Teddy says, ‘and we are close to opening the restaurant for weekenders and functions with plans for accommodation and a cellar door later this year.’

With the Pyrenees renowned for its exceptional cool-climate wines, and Teddy known for his curation of refined dining experiences in the region (he is partially responsible for the likes of Ballarat’s Ragazzone, Moon and Mountain and Renard Social Club), lovers of fine vino can only imagine what is to be expected when this boutique space beckons them in.

According to Teddy, working in such a creative industry is what keeps him going back for more.

I love the people I work with and the creativities elements of the industry. It’s been a tough few years but the resilience shown by our staff has been amazing.

THE DETAILS

WHAT: Wayward Winery
WHERE: Waubra, Pyrenees Shire
WHEN: 2022
FIND OUT MORE: Wayward Winery

We wish to acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Introducing Traditional French-style Piquette, Pique Season 1

Words by Richard cornish
Images Supplied

It’s light, dry, low in alcohol, very refreshing and made in the traditional French Piquette style of fermenting the grape marc pressings. This new local release is called Pique Season 1, made by Lyon-born French woman Manon Houg who has collaborated with Victorian winemakers in the Grampians wine region.

“When I was growing up, my grandparents would make their own Piquette,” she says. “They would take marc (pressed skins) from Syrah and Gamay or whatever they could get their hands on,” she says. She says they would soak the marc and then drain it. The water extracted leftover sugars in the skins, and this was then fermented.

It is a low alcohol drink, and it was something that children were allowed to sip on to train their palates at the dinner table.

The Melbourne-based wine industry marketing specialist has had her eye on the rise of Piquette in the global wine industry, especially in the US. There Piquette is often blended with fruit or fruit wines to make novel versions of the original. Manon wanted to make something more akin to the clean, lean piquettes of her home country.

She teamed up with winemakers in the Grampians to create Pique Season 1. This delightfully spritzy, dry, yet well-rounded drink is made with the marc of eight different grape varieties, including Roussanne, Marsanne, Riesling, Cabernet Franc but mostly Nebbiolo, Syrah and Pinot Noir. The skins are hydrated with filtered rainwater and then pressed hard to extract as much flavour and residual sugar. This mix is then fermented using natural yeasts with a little experimentation with the ferments to build layers of flavour.

The different batches are blended, filtered, carbonated and filled into glossy aluminium cans. The drink is just 3.5%, similar to mid-strength beers, has a pleasant rosy hue and should be served chilled, and is a fun drink for a weekend lunch or after-work tipple. It’s light body and low alcohol make it ideal for those wanting a better choice when reaching for a drink.

Pique Season 1 sells for about $8 for a 330ml can.

THE DETAILS

What: Traditional French-style Piquette
When: Now
Where: Blackhearts and Sparrows, NotWasted, Drnks

We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.