Two sommeliers working at Circa in St Kilda takeover small Macedon Ranges vineyard to chase winemaking dream

If you were asked to take over a vineyard in regional Victoria while getting a haircut, would you jump at the opportunity? Two city-living sommeliers did just that — and now they’re in the running to be named the country’s best young winemakers.

Liam and Matthew’s winemaking earned them a place in the Young Gun of Wine awards top 50 this year. Picture Jay Town.

Matthew Brooke was getting a haircut when he was offered to take over a small Macedon Ranges vineyard from his hairdresser’s mum.

At the time Matthew was as a sommelier at Circa in St Kilda with his new best mate Liam O’Brien.

They’d only known each other for a short time, but jumped at the opportunity to make wine together.

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Matthew Brooke and Liam O'Brien are two sommeliers who also make their own wine in the Macedon Ranges. Picture Jay Town.

“We were a really good team. We finished each others sentences, it was our work-related hick,” Liam says.

“We wanted to get our hands dirty. At the restaurant we were well exposed to serving, sipping and drinking wine, but there was always an interest in the agricultural side.”

Living and working in Melbourne, Liam and Matthew’s commitment to the craft shone when they’d make the reverse-commute to work on the vineyard during the day after a shift at restaurant.

The land they’d inherited was a small hobby vineyard, where they’d grow pinot noir and chardonnay. In the early days, Liam and Matthew bought a lot of grapes and experimented with blending.

“We still didn’t know what we were doing,” Liam says. “But we had great access to people in the region. There’s an aspect when you are self-taught.”

“We taught ourselves to a basic level and today we’re aiming to a very high level.”

“We continue to lean on other people in the industry who are more highly trained than us.”

At the time, both Liam and Matthew were being trained as sommeliers at Circa, learning to taste and match food and wine.

“We may not be trained (in winemaking) but have trained our palate over a number of years,” he says.

Matthew and Liam now grow a variety of wines at their Macedon Ranges vineyard. Picture Jay Town.

The Alto Alto wine is testament to the boys’ skills and palate, released under their Athletes of Wine label.

Pinot Noir was their first drop in 2009 and in 2012 they added chardonnay to the vineyard.

In 2015 they debuted the King Valley Alto Alto white blend and in 2016 an Alto Alto red blend of pinot noir, shiraz, malbec and chardonnay and in2017, an Alto Alto rose and a Vino Athletico Macedon Pet Nat Sparkling Rose

In their first year they made 40 dozen bottles a year. Now they’re making 2300 dozen.

Liam and Matthew’s winemaking earned them a place in the Young Gun of Wine awards top 50 this year.

The boys are hoping their 2017 Vino Athletico Macedon Pet Nat Sparkling Rose and the 2017 Vinero Chardonnay earn them a spot in the top 12.

Today Liam works at Marion Wine Bar and Cutler and Co, while Matthew is Crown Casino’s head sommelier.

While the YGW accolade will help Liam’s career, he’s looking forward to the day where Athletes of Wine produces a range that’s hard to hate.

“In 12 months time, I’d like to have a full set of wines, where you could line up six or seven, and people cannot pick their favourite,” he says.

The Young Gun of Wine final 12 will be announced late April. The overall winners will be announced in Adelaide in June.