Old Noarlunga/old meets new winery
A new wine label has launched in Old Noarlunga. It’s an exciting mix of the old and the new, writes Katie Spain.
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It’s always special to watch a grower taste what a winemaker has achieved with the fruits of their labour.
That’s what happened in November, when winemaker Alan Varney launched Varney Wines at his new Old Noarlunga winery and tasting room (at the gateway to McLaren Vale).
The winery sits below Victor’s Place brewery and restaurant, run by Alan’s Berlin-born wife, Kathrin Dressler.
It’s worth stopping in as you whiz along Victor Harbor Rd. The transformation of the site (formerly home to a rundown old shearing shed) is impressive.
In place of sheep, diners and drinkers enjoy the green lawns and Onkaparinga Gorge views. The addition of the winery (and pop-up cellar door on weekends) is the culmination of decades of hard work.
Alan knows his stuff. He previously worked at the likes of Orlando and Longview Wines, and 11 vintages at McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg, where he donned the senior winemaker cap. Grape whispering in Portugal, California and New York honed his craft.
We’re lucky to have him. The Varney Wines range of six wines (and counting) is quite an achievement. Not bad for a side project that started as a “tonne for fun”.
Alan’s approach to winemaking is traditional but sensitive.
“First and foremost I think it is important not to impose your own will on a wine,” he says. “I like to see myself as a guide on the wine’s journey, allowing vineyards to express their full potential in the finished wines.
“This means picking at just the right time – often a bit earlier than some of my peers – then minimal intervention winemaking, the use of only older seasoned oak, and close attention to tannin extraction.” Access to top-notch grapes helps, too.
“A great wine is made in the vineyard and we have access to some very distinguished sites with very talented growers,” he says.
Like Clarendon grower Tony Fagg, who has supplied hand-picked shiraz to Alan since his first vintage in 2010.
Tony’s shiraz vineyard contributed 33 per cent of the fruit in the 2017 Varney Wines Shiraz and Tony was there to toast Alan at the launch.
The range now includes grenache, mourvèdre, touriga, cabernet, nebbiolo, fiano, semillon, chardonnay, and verdelho.
“We’re really lucky to have some special relationships with growers I’ve worked with for many years,” Alan says.
The next release involves Hills nebbiolo and cabernet and has been five years in the making.
On February 2, Victor’s Place hosts CFS Foundation fundraiser Rosé Relief. The Sunday Session, which features wines by small producers Golden Child Wines, Mazi Wines and Varney Wines. Tickets $25, eventbrite.com.au