Fumé Rosé 2020

($2 of every sale goes directly to our local Ballandean Rural Fire Service.  They’re hoping to renovate the fire station!)

Read all about the wine..

2019 and particularly 2020 saw some of the most catastrophic bushfires in Australia’s recorded history.  The devastation was immense, not only seizing the attention & sympathy of the Australian nation but the whole world!

Unknown to many people, the fires also affected the wine industry.  Vineyards in the fires path were destroyed and many on the periphery were affected by smoke.  In Affected areas during vintage, when vines were laden with grapes, they were growing in an atmosphere of smoke.  Smoke particles were absorbed through the grape skins, tainting the grapes.  These tainted grapes had the potential to produce smoke tainted wine.

As a result, many grape growers wrote off their harvest as wineries rejected the tainted grapes.  These growers literally left their grapes on the vines to rot or end up as food for the many birds and animals also adversely affected by the fires.  These growers saw a whole year’s worth of work go to waste.

Considering climate change, many people wonder if these wildfires are a part of the new normal.  It’s not only Australia that is seeing an increase in their occurrence and ferocity but it’s many parts of the world such as Europe, the United States & even the frozen wilderness of Siberia!  Famous wine regions such as the Napa Valley and Sonoma in California had 3 vintages in a row affected by wildfires, and they’ve had their fair share of dealing with smoke tainted grapes.

One of our growers was particularly struck down by the fires; his whole crop was virtually destroyed.  Rejected by others, we bought some of the remaining grapes & saw an opportunity to experiment with them.  Considering climate change & the possibility bushfires being a part of normal vineyard life, we needed to prepare for a smoky future and learn how to deal with changing conditions.  We wanted to make a wine to see firsthand how fires affect the taste of wine.  We also employed a lot of winemaking science & technology to try and decrease the smoke taint. 

The result is Fumé – a rosé made from 100% Tempranillo, sourced from a smoked affected vineyard.  Served chilled this is a great wine to have at a BBQ, enjoyed with chargrilled or smoked food. You've heard of smoky whisky, and maybe even smoky beers; well here is our smoky rosé!