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NORTH SOUTH WALES
10 innovative winemakers O
rganic. Biodynamic. Vegan-friendly. Minimal intervention. For some of New South Wales’s most innovative winemakers, it’s not just about what you put into the wine, but what you leave out. From the North Coast Orange to the Southern Highlands to the Hunter Valley wine regions, meet the winemakers making waves with their natural wines. Sam Leyshon of Mallaluka, Yass Some winemakers like to leave their mark on the wines they produce – but Sam Leyshon takes the opposite approach. Now at the helm of his family winery, Mallaluka, in Yass, a three-hour drive southwest of Sydney or an hour north of Canberra, Leyshon (formerly of renowned Canberra District winery Clonakilla) aims to minimise the fingerprint on his wines, using lowimpact techniques such as open-vat fermentation, basket pressing and minimal additives. In addition to cool-climate favourites such as riesling and shiraz, his range includes lesser-known whites including fiano, vermentino and aligoté, a little-known Burgundy varietal. There is no cellar door, but you can buy Mallaluka wines directly online. Sam Renzaglia of Renzaglia Wines, O’Connell Valley You don’t often find a Rosenberg’s goanna on a wine label, but there’s a reason that Sam Renzaglia’s Di Renzo range of wines features wildlife on its labels. At Renzaglia Wines in the O’Connell Valley near Bathurst, a threehour drive west of Sydney the focus is on restoring the local ecosystem. That influences how Renzaglia treats not just his vines — minimising herbicides and pesticides and weeding by hand — but also how he treats the rest of the property, introducing nesting boxes and planting more trees to support native birds and koalas. Renzaglia’s award-winning wines, which are made without fining and filtering, include chardonnay, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Richie Harkham of Harkham Wines, Hunter Valley When Richie Harkham describes his wines as “pure grape juice”, he’s talking about what he leaves out of the winemaking process: there are no chemicals, no preservatives, no additives, fining or filtration. At this
boutique Hunter Valley winery, which makes a maximum of 20,000 bottles a year, workers hand-pick all the grapes used to make its acclaimed semillon, chardonnay, rosé and shiraz. That’s not the only thing that sets Harkham Wines apart: the winery operates according to kosher guidelines, and has an on-site restaurant and accommodation for those looking for a longer stay. Jared Dixon of Jilly Wine Co, Clunes A 40-minute drive inland from Byron Bay in the village of Clunes, winemaker Jared Dixon of Jilly Wine Co is hard at work. Jared sources his grapes from the cooler New England region, just a few hours away, where settlers first grew vines in the early 19th century. The crisp highland air suits varieties such as nebbiolo, gewurztraminer and chardonnay, and Dixon uses natural yeasts and avoids fining and additives, apart from a small amount of sulphur. The Clunes cellar door is open only by appointment, but you can pick up a bottle or two at the Clunes Store & Cellars on Main Street in town. Tony Zafirakos at Ari’s Natural Wine Co, Sutton Forest In the picturesque Southern Highlands, a two-hour drive southwest of Sydney, Ari’s Natural Wine Co is all about keeping it simple. Inspired by the techniques used in the Greek village where his father Ari grew up, winemaker Tony Zafirakos uses wild fermentation, and
