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Winning Wine
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WINNING
WINES
STAND-OUTS Taste Sittella and Oakover wines on your next trip to the Valley, among the line-up of award-winners.
What makes Swan Valley wines the pick of the bunch? Monique Ceccato asks Oakover Wines and Yagmich Estate for their expert opinions.
PRODUCING AN AWARD-winning wine isn’t just pot luck. It’s down to an exact science. It takes the right variety being grown in the right place, balance, a natural beauty, and an instinctive approach to winemaking – among other things – to create an expression that’s truly memorable.
“To make an award-winning wine, the production of quality grapes is essential, together with highly skilled winemakers with technical excellence,” says Sally Yagmich, one half of the husband and wife duo behind Yagmich Estate.
In the Swan Valley, it’s the specific fine soil types, warm Mediterranean climate, and low average rainfall that lead to the perfect growing conditions for varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, and lesser-known but equally as exciting Italian varieties. It’s then up to human intervention to do the rest.
“The winemaker and grape grower monitor the maturing grapes to ensure the berries are at the preferred sugar level for the style of wine to be made,” says Sally.
“Dedication by the grape grower in yearround maintenance of the vineyard is vital. This includes applying appropriate pruning methods to ensure the production of good fruit and the longevity of the vines, fertilising and spraying the vines to control pests and diseases while maintaining the biodiversity of the soil, and managing the growth of the vine to provide the grape bunches with the best maturing environment.”
For Damian Hutton, the chief winemaker and general manager at Oakover Wines and Nikola Estate, the line between great wine and award-winning wines comes down to human input.
The fruit used in the winemaking process (Damian likes acid-retaining varietals such as Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Grenache, for balance) is just one half of the equation; with attention to detail, hard work, dedication, and a belief in your own products being the winning additional ingredients that take a wine to the next level.
Find 2021 Swan Valley Wine Show Award-Winning Wines At. . .
Oakover Wines
14 Yukich Cl, Middle Swan Taking out the City of Swan trophy for having five or more entries with the highest average score, Oakover Wines is clearly onto a good thing and know how to make a fine wine. Stop by the cellar door for a bite to eat along with a glass of the 2021 Chenin Blanc, awarded Best 2021 Dry White Wine of Show. oakovergrounds.com.au
Yagmich Estate
Known for its hyper-focus on the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz varietals, it comes as no surprise that Yagmich Estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 claimed the Alan Dinneen Memorial Trophy for the wine that best identifies with the Swan Valley and shows imagination, innovation, and ingenuity. The
estate doesn’t have a cellar door, but you can purchase wine direct from the Yagmich website. yagmichestate.com.au
Torrent Wines
With two awards under its belt – Best Chenin Blanc (Speak Like an Italian Chenin Blanc 2015) and the Liquor Barrons Trophy for Best Regional Wine of Show (Swan Valley Chenin Blanc 2015) – Torrent Wines may be small, but it is mighty. They’ve got a distinctly Italian style, inherited from family ties with the Italian town of Torino Di Sangro, a perfect complement to the Mediterranean varieties that grow so well in the Valley. torrentwines.com.au
Sittella Winery
100 Barrett St, Herne Hill Sittella is renowned for quality, and this was underlined after it was named the most successful producer in the Swan Valley. It received the highest accumulated points overall at the Swan Valley Wine Show, giving you that extra tick of assurance you’ll get a good drop from them, whatever you choose. Stop by the winery for lunch and taste your way through their high scoring wine range. sittella.com.au
Faber Vineyard
233 Haddrill Rd, Baskerville One of the most successful vineyards at the 2021 Swan Valley Wine Show was Faber Vineyard, who took home three trophies in total. Stop by the cellar door to sip on their winners – the Millard Vineyard Shiraz 2019, Blanc de Blanc 2018, and Swan Valley Liqueur Muscat NV – while snacking on a cheese board full of local produce. fabervineyard.com.au
It’s pretty simple, really. We’re a brewery in the Swan Valley. We serve beer that we brew, local wine from our mates, and food that’s always tasty. We’ve got a big playground for the kids and peace-of-mind for the parents. All the good stuff – and just 30 minutes from the City!
Dennis and Sally Yagmich of Yagmich Estate
Sittella’s winemaking team of Colby Quirk, Jack Criddle and Yuri Berns Rino D’Angelo of Torrent Wines
Opening Hours: Tues - Friday: 11am-Late for Lunch & Dinner. Saturday-Sunday & Public Holidays: 8am-Late for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Damian Hutton chief winemaker Oakover Wines and Nikola Estate
