What makes a good wine?
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It's a complicated question because a lot goes into making good wine, starting with a good winemaker.
Lucky for Canberrans, the local wine district has plenty of those on hand, with two, in particular, being named as top 50 finalists for the 2021 Young Gun of Wine Awards - Nathan Brown, of Linear Wines and Jacob Carter from Sholto Wines.
The Young Gun of Wine Awards recognises Australia's newest winemaking talent, bringing together those who seek to redefine the notion of wine quality in Australia.
"We want to know how the makers are advancing the conversation on wine," says Nick Stock who has been on the judging panel since it began in 2007.
"We want to know what contribution they are making to their community, to the wine landscape, to the future. Are they pushing boundaries, innovating, being bold? Are they putting back, working with others and caring about the bigger picture? And yes, are their wines engaging, thoughtful and lovingly made? It all matters to us.
"Our 50 finalists in 2021 span a wide variety of origins, styles and attitudes, and all are united by a fierce determination to collectively drive the conversation of Australian wine forward to greater heights of diversity and distinction."
Brown was the only finalist who has started a label while still studying at Charles Sturt University.
The Linear Wines founder has a background in restaurants and after he sold Ainslie's Pulp Kitchen in 2017, he decided to venture into the world of winemaking, beginning with just two small batches of wine made with only a couple of tonnes of fruit.
For Brown, every good wine begins in the vineyard.
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"My job's predominately been a fair bit of vineyard work, especially with the bushfires last year," he says.
"We didn't have any wine to play around within 2020 so we've spent a lot of time in the vineyard in the last 18 months.
"But I think that's where it all kicks off and if you can do the right thing there and get some balance in the vineyard and show the vines a bit of love, then you'll get the rewards later in the winery. If you make sure you get all of your inputs right, just look after the plants and don't ask too much of them, then I think that's the foundations for making a great wine."
When describing the styles from Carter's Sholto Wines, the phrase "different but consistent" comes up.
Basically, for the winemaker, it all comes down to experimentation. His style is to take mainstream varieties and use them in alternative ways.
"I like experimenting and showing people that you can get more out of the mainstream varieties," Carter says.
"And the big thing as well is experience. I've been pretty fortunate that I've been working with a lot of people that have been in the industry for a long time. I've been able to benefit a lot from that.
"They're able to tell me if what I'm thinking is a great idea or if it's a dumb idea and not to do it.
"What I've kind of worked out over the years is that there is no dumb idea in the wine industry. You can try anything really and it'll either work out well or not so well and you just know not to do it next time.
"And with my wine, personally, I don't think that I'm there yet. I'm still playing around with different handling methods, the different styles and different varieties as well. But I think that's the best part about winemaking to me just trying different things not sticking to the same recipe or anything like that."
The Young Gun of Wine Awards is now in its 15th year of searching for changemakers in winemaking. In that time, the annual list has become a guide for drinkers looking for cutting-edge wines.
The top 50 finalists in this year's awards were decided after intensive judging, with a panel of leading industry figures from across the country. Wines from every maker in the long list were tasted, before their label and its aspirations were discussed, as was their place in the region they work in and the broader wine landscape.
- Winners will be announced on May 24. The People's Choice award is also open until May 24, with voting at younggunofwine.com.
- Nathan Brown is hosting two tasting events at The Italian Place on April 15 and 24. For more information or to book go theitalianplaceprovidore.com.au.
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