Escape.

All aboard our flying machine

Where do you turn, after 35 years in the wine business, when handed an open book of opportunity?

Great vineyards are out there. So are the connections — we know a lot of people, and at the winemaker level, this business is as generous and welcoming as any you'll find.

Introducing UTOPIES — wines from viticultural utopias, made carefully, in small drops.

Some vineyards have a vibration. Hard to explain. Easy to taste. It shows up as charm, as character — the whole idea behind UTOPIES. We start with a sense of adventure. We don’t want to be tied down. Eyes wide open.

There isn't much wilderness left in wine. Tasmania seemed like a place to find some. Cold. Windy, some days. A little wild. Long shadows, long daylight, all the complexity that comes with that. Pinot Noir wants a little sun for its tannins. Not too much. Tasmania knows how to hold back.

Other ideas are floating around. A gorgeous Chardonnay, already on the way. A small parcel of Grenache, locked in for next vintage, from a tiny vineyard in the Grampians. A few mates who pop up along the way — the kind who show up with something brilliant more often than we can keep up with.

Small drops. A sense of fun. An easy escape from the everyday.

Dan Buckle
Winemaker