HO: How would you describe the local winemaking community in the Yarra Valley? 

AF: Talented. As you would expect from Australia’s best wine region. As the Yarra doesn’t have the history of some other regions, there’s not generations of winemakers. Rather, winemakers are drawn here by the opportunity to make great cool climate wines. There are constantly young and talented people arriving in the Yarra.

HO: What is it that you look to achieve when you’re making the In Dreams wines? 

AF:Clarity of fruit, crisp acid, aromatics.

HO: Which of your past experiences taught you the most about cool-climate winemaking? 

AF: Making my own wines (under the Fikkers label) from the Upper Yarra. It’s only when you control the entire process that you really get a feel for what each vineyard can deliver as you’re involved from growing the fruit all the way through to bottle. Working across multiple sites in the Upper Yarra with Mac Forbes and Giant Steps was a pretty good help too.

HO: What is your philosophy when it comes to winemaking? 

AF: Let the vineyard expression shine through in the glass. I achieve this by not manipulating the fruit too much, I prefer to guide it along its own path. It starts with the picking time of the grapes (not too ripe, not too green) and flows through to ferment techniques (not too cold, not too hot, not too many bunches in the Pinot) and maturation (for the love of God, not too much oak!)

HO: What’s next for In Dreams?

AF: Plant our own vineyard in Yarra Junction in the Upper Yarra Valley. We plan to use the best combos of clones and rootstock to plant a great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard. There may be a couple of alternative varietals in the mix too…
 

 

Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist will welcome one of Australia’s oldest and most admired wineries, Henschke to the portfolio from February next year.

Of the partnership between the two family-owned companies, Gary Crawford, CEO of Joval Wines said, “we are delighted and honoured to welcome Henschke into the Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist portfolio”.

“Henschke will become one of our cornerstone brands in the Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist portfolio alongside some of the world’s greatest family-owned wine brands” he added
 

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“Henschke will become one of our cornerstone brands in the... portfolio alongside some of the world’s greatest family-owned wine brands.” 

- Gary Crawford | CEO Joval Wines

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“As custodians of some the country’s oldest vines, producers of nation-defining wines and innovators for a sustainable future, we admire the Henschke family as people of both principle and action. We are looking forward to working closely with Stephen and Prue, the next generation and the wider Henschke team for many years to come” he added.

In recent years, Stephen (fifth-generation winemaker) and Prue (viticulturist) Henschke have welcomed their adult children, Johann, Justine and Andreas into the family business.

“We are pleased to form a new distribution partnership with one of Australia’s most reputable and dynamic fine wine businesses, Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist, part of Joval Wines. Their enduring values and commitment to the premium wine trade align with our family business, and we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship, servicing our loyal customers throughout Australia.” said Stephen.

On the new addition to the portfolio, Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist National Brand Manager Bree Richmond said “we have always respected and admired the Henschke family, their approach to winemaking and extraordinary 150 year legacy. We are both humbled and excited to embark on this new chapter with one of the country’s most iconic brands.”

 

 

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For more information, customers are encouraged to contact their area managers.

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Where did it all start for you?
When I headed off to study at NMIT in Marlborough back in 2001 winemaking was not the career path I had in mind. 
Pinot Noir vineyard plantings in Central Otago were booming and I had my sights set firmly on the viticulture side of the wine industry. 8 weeks of vintage work experience at Villa Maria’s Marlborough winery during my second year of study completely changed that though - the intense atmosphere of the winery during vintage, long hours working closely alongside passionate winemakers from all corners of the world – all of whom were there to learn but also share their own knowledge struck a chord with me. The buzz of the winery in full swing was infectious and very quickly shifted my focus towards winemaking.

Which of your wines are you most proud of and why should we add it to our cellars?
While I am proud of all wines I have made over the years, I am most proud of the soon to be released 2020 Nanny Goat Vineyard Single Vineyard Queensberry Pinot Noir. 
Not only is it a wine produced amidst the stress and uncertainty of the Covid19 lockdown, but it is also the inaugural release of an organic single vineyard wine from the Nanny Goat Vineyard in Queensberry.
Queensberry is a small and often overlooked sub region of Central Otago producing Pinot Noir that is typically very perfumed and aromatically lifted yet also densely fruited, silky and energetic.
This wine embodies all of these traits, and in 10 years' time when you pull a bottle from your cellar I would hope that it has helped elevate Queensberry out of obscurity and become a benchmark example of Pinot Noir from this sub region.

Is there any new trend or innovation in wine that’s excited you or that you’re involved in?
I love the sense experimentation that is happening within the NZ wine industry at the moment. The willingness to plant a new grape variety to see how it will perform in the context of our soils and climate. 
Unconventional blends, natural wines, minimal intervention winemaking - with so many talented and creative winemakers plying their craft, innovation is alive and well here in NZ
I have produced a skin fermented Gewurztraminer dominant white blend called ‘Cross Breed’ for a few years now, and I plan on planting a few small experimental blocks as we expand our home vineyard, so that will help satisfy my creative side in years to come.

How would you like to see New Zealand’s wine industry evolve in the longer term?
I would like to see the continued adoption of organic and regenerative viticulture practices. 
I see first hand from our own vineyard and the resulting wines the benefits, both environmentally and qualitatively that organic farming has. Healthy soils producing healthy, resilient vines and the flow on effect to the fruit in the winery is evident.

At the end of a busy day making wine or tasting tank and barrel samples, what beverage do you turn to?
As the saying goes – ‘It takes a lot of good beer to make great wine.’
My current go to would be a nice cold Hazy IPA, and with so many great local craft brewers I am never short of options.
 

Vintage 2021

The 2021 vintage was an auspicious way to cement that professional partnership between the couple, with the weather swinging away from the hot and dry conditions of recent years to usher in a year that John says had the coolest average temperatures since the 2001–02 growing period

In 2021, we had Mother Nature on our side once again. It has been challenging the past two years, but this year gave us sufficient rains for the vines to grow large and healthy canopies, protecting the fruit from the sun. A slower ripening period allowed for perfect ripening conditions, retaining great acidity in the berries – just what we require to make great Riesling.

Happily, favourable conditions in November also allowed for ideal flowering, with the vines carrying a good, balanced crop that was supported by the earlier spring rains. Those rains set the vines up ideally in the warm spring for what was then a cool and dry summer, which saw intense flavours develop at low potential alcohol levels alongside thrilling natural acidity. Well-timed rain events kept the vines fresh, while disease pressure was not a concern. All in all, an idyllic year with the potential for great wines across the Rieslingfreak spectrum, from dry and racy styles to those carrying residual sugar. Well-timed rain events kept the vines fresh, while disease pressure was not a concern. All in all, an idyllic year with the potential for great wines across the Rieslingfreak spectrum, from dry and racy styles to those carrying residual sugar.