Scout Vineyard Farm Blend

"This wine started as a collaboration between our two farms, Scout Vineyard and Snowy Mountain Farm. We practice regenerative farming at both and as such diversity plays a key role. Nature is resilient through diversity and we strongly believe that to shepherd a resilient and self sustaining farm, we need to shift our focus from monoculture to diversity. This philosophy has also shifted our ideas about winemaking and made us ask the question, why are we only making wine from grapes? With over 70 varieties of orchard fruit and berries at Snowy Mountain Farm, we see an opportunity to make wine from a more diverse range of fruit and plants.

For our first attempt, we used several varieties of heritage dessert and cider apples and pears (Braeburn, Gravenstein, Macintosh, Winesap, King Northern Spy, Starkrimson, to name a few), which were pressed and fermented on Riesling and Syrah skins. After 10 days of spontaneous fermenting we pressed it off into neutral barrels where it aged for 7 months. We added some still fermenting wine (Syrah/Riesling co-ferment) and bottled it in sparkling bottles with the hopes that it would produce a “slight” effervescence. This is not a ‘Pet Nat’ or bubbly wine, rather a wine-cider hybrid that drinks more like a rosé with a light spritz. It’s bright, with a nervy backbone and the Syrah skins provide a savoury, salty, cured meat note. Goes down easy at 10.2% alc." - Scout