Reflections
Northside Wines, June 2026
A Thornbury industrial estate seems an unlikely place to make a fine table wine. But the Lambrusco wine we tasted at Northside Wines was made on an industrial estate not far from the High Street venue.
Pushing the envelope further, making a still white wine from Lambrusco grapes is different. Till now, Lambrusco was the vibrant sparkling red wine from the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy.
Our host, Jacob Davey, explained what makes it possible to make a white wine from Lambrusco red grapes is the white flesh. Discard the skins and you get a white wine.
Also on tasting were the unique varietals from Mark Kirkby, owner of the boutique winery Toppers Mountain. His Tempranillo Bianco and Tannat were both unexpected but beautiful drinking wines. Mark explained that not only is the region unknown, but the grape varieties that thrive on the edge of the New England Tablelands in New South Wales are little known as well.
Jenny Wilkins
David O'Leary at the Novotel on Collins, May 2026
On May 10th, my husband and I attended a presentation from David O’Leary, founder and co-owner of O’Leary Walker wines. David, a successful and renowned award-winning winemaker, flew from the Clare Valley to lead us through selected varieties of his wines.
The event was held at the Novotel on Collins. David navigated us through a wide selection of wines informing us of the grape growing conditions, the terroir and the fermentation processes - a highly informative narrative.
The wines included a delicious sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay, Rieslings of differing age as well as some very full- flavoured Reds. The reds included a Pinotage - a variety very common and extremely popular in South Africa, but rare in Australia. I especially enjoyed the complexity of this wine.
While sampling the wines, we were served a variety of tasty appetisers prepared by the staff of the Novotel.
We thoroughly enjoyed this event at the Novotel especially reconnecting with our many friends from the Wine Guild. We have previously met at functions and on Wine Guild trips including exploring the wineries of Tasmania and the Clare Valley.
Maree Gloag
Fowles Wines lunch at Melbourne Cellar Door March 2026
Our special guest Matt Fowles wowed us with his wines as he told the heartbreaking story of the loss of his home, sheep, and vineyards in the recent Strathbogie Ranges bushfires. Matt didn’t dwell on the fires and spoke proudly of the sparkling Pinot Noir on arrival, and the wines matched to the impressive meal served by the welcoming and efficient Melbourne Cellar Door staff. The atmosphere in the venue’s distillery was as impressive as the food and wine. The three wines served with the meal were the ‘Ladies who Shoot their Lunch’ Riesling and Shiraz, followed by the ‘alternative’ Stone Dwellers Mourvèdre. In my view the Riesling was the highlight.
The purpose of this event was to support Matt and his family by enjoying and purchasing his wines. He was thrilled with the feedback and the number of orders. Don Hyatt, with help from Di Lofts, presented Matt with gifts of Easter chocolate for himself, his wife and three young daughters.
Graeme Lofts
“The best restaurant event for quite a while” quote from a long-standing member.
A wonderful day at Yeringberg Estate, Yarra Valley, December 2025
Fourth generation winemaker, Sandra de Pury generously provided exclusive access to Yeringberg Estate as part of the WGV end-of-year function. Yeringberg rarely opens to the public and has an amazing history which is clearly on display within the winery. We were treated to a fascinating array of information and the opportunity to sample some excellent Yeringberg wines.
Don Hyatt