Vino Intrepido

It’s fair to say that we are very lucky in Australia to enjoy generally good weather, an easy-going way of life, and have also been influenced by immigration and multiculturalism. We grow some of the best quality agricultural products in the world, and our innovations in winemaking and viticulture are the envy of many around the world. Australians are some of the most sophisticated when it comes to knowledge about wine and enthusiasm for enjoying it with food.

It was been incredibly exciting to see the growth in alternative grape varieties in all wine-producing states of Australia, none more so than those originating from Italy. Many Italian grape varieties are much better suited to the generally warmer and drier conditions we have in this country, and thanks to their naturally higher levels of acidity, are better able to produce fresh and vibrant wines of purity and integrity. While it took over 100 years for grapes like Chardonnay and Shiraz to show regional diversity and uniqueness, we have seen wines made from Italian varieties like Sangiovese Fiano improve immensely in the last ten years alone.

The concept for Vino Intrepido was to take advantage of my experiences travelling in Italy and working with Italian wines and winemakers in my career, and identify what makes the wines from these historic areas so incredibly drinkable whilst showing a sense of place. The aim is to find regions in Australia (particularly Victoria) that have some similarities to their Italian counterparts, and select varieties more rigorously on their applicability to the region. Working closely with growers who show a true passion and commitment to working with these varieties and deciding when to harvest is the key to the quality.

In the winery my object is to test my theories of how better to capture the essence of drinkability and a sense of place, and learning from my experiences. A minimal approach to me means to limit techniques only to what is necessary, intervening only when it will benefit the final product. Spontaneous fermentations are always preferred, and sulphur addition is kept to a minimum. Only mature oak barrels are used, and as I grow my aim is to source larger barrels where I can.