22 November 2021

Nick Brown's interview on By the Glass with Thomas Carr from Halliday.

Thomas: How should you drink Muscat?

Nick: We shouldn't get stuck in the old school ways of drinking wine like this, have a bit of fun with it and mix it up. The younger muscats are bright and light in colour, almost pink. Cocktails are a beautiful new way to introduce people to these, using mixers such as soda water. Muscat, soda water and a slice of orange is a good little starter – a good one for by the pool".

Thomas: How important is tradition VS creative thinking? And how do you strike a balance?

Tradition is certainly important when making harvest and winemaking decisions; however, consumers' tastes change, and winemaking decisions should change alongside them. It is always exciting in challenging our thinking through being creative and more adventurous. Still, there is a fine line between a winemaker creating an obscure wine and customers wanting to buy it!

How do you think Rutherglen is currently perceived VS? How should it be perceived?

Rutherglen has produced the world's best-fortified wines, and this reputation has been reinforced over many generations. During the past 20 years, we have begun to show consumers that the region can also produce beautiful table wines such as Shiraz, Durif, Grenache and whites varieties such as Marsanne and Fiano. As a region, we're excited to show our visitors these wines in addition to the luscious fortifieds.

What new initiatives/techniques/wine styles are you bringing to the region, and why do you see these as important for the future of the region?

The wineries of Rutherglen are putting a lot of work into findings ways to have a lighter footprint on the land through sustainable vineyard practices. From a wine style perspective, we are looking at more savoury 'drink now' styles of wines, particularly our red wines. There is a definite lean towards these styles, which will undoubtedly increase in popularity into the future.

Listen to thefull interview here.