There is no denying the consumer thirst for alternative varieties. I observe it daily at Wine House Melbourne. The curious drinker wants a new experience as well as pleasure. However, this yearning has yet to fully infuse in the premium wine market’s high end, to whom an independent retailer like Wine House primarily caters. My […]
by Jane Faulkner, AAVWS Chief of Judges 2012 – 2018 Assyrtiko. Nero d’Avola. Pavana. Savagnin under flor and subsequently, true albarino. Picpoul. Mencia. Extended skin-contact whites plus many more styles and varieties besides. If someone had told me in 2005 all those would one day feature at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, I might […]
by Simon Killeen of Simao and Co., AAVWS Committee Member When I was about five, I vividly remember driving in the vineyards with my dad, proudly announcing my understanding of the varieties we had planted. I explained to him the wines they made. “Shiraz makes Shiraz, Muscat makes Muscat, Port makes… Where’s our Port planted?” “There’s […]
Picture yourself standing with some of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the business of bringing alternative varieties to Australia. Look down at the dusty red earth and then up, along rows of vines with stakes meticulously recording variety, clone, count and source data. Listen in on discussions about requests from Italy for long […]
Introducing, in her own words, Simone Madden-Gray as the 2018 AAVWS Fellow… Alternative grape varieties are occupying a greater share of the national vineyard, creating an exciting contrast to the traditional Australian offering and the AAVWS Fellowship offers an essential insight into this next chapter of Australian wine history. In my role as owner of Happy […]
A guest blog by AAVWS Committee Chair Ashley Ratcliff The American billionaire, Warren Buffett, once quoted ‘when everyone is brave be scared, and when everyone is scared be brave’. My take on this quote is, do the opposite of what everyone else does! During the 1990’s almost the entire Australian wine industry was brave… super […]
Wow. The Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show fellowship. What a great opportunity for a wine-obsessed storyteller. I am chuffed to jump aboard this juicy, alternative variety dreamboat. Ironically, I grew up surrounded by milk, not wine. I’ve pulled more udders than I’ve poured wine but a childhood spent on a dairy farm gave me an […]
Guest Blog by AAVWS Committee Member Mark Walpole So, what does a warming climate and the GFC have in common? Both have impacted the inland wine regions significantly over the past decade. Hotter and drier growing seasons; and a reduced demand for many of the traditional varieties planted during the wine boom of the 1990’s […]
Guest Blog by AAVWS Committee member Franco D’Anna Pinot Blanc as it’s known in France or Pinot Bianco in Italy is a white grape planted in regions like Alsace, Alto Adige and parts of Friuli. Quite recently, it has been planted to success in different regions in Australia. Pinot Blanc is now planted in Tasmania, […]
Guest Blog by 2016 AAVWS Fellow James Scarcebrook… From a young age I always attempted to avoid the mainstream, to be an individual. Little did I know that many years later as a wine professional and wine drinker, I would do the same thing! There is no better place to celebrate the alternative than at […]
Changing the World
“The massive impact the AAVWS has had on wine production and consumption in Australia over the last 15 years is now flowing overseas as alternative varieties breathe new life into the UK market and add colour and excitement to the Australian offering.”
Ashley Ratcliff | President 2016 - 2020
