Marksist theory: How a timeless gem is formed
I've heard it said many times: Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir is the Pinot the Yarra winemakers drink. This pioneering vineyard of the Upper Yarra is also home to arguably Australia's finest expressions of Sauvignon Blanc. One of the nation's finest bottles of grower fizz comes from here, too, and the Chardonnay is pretty sublime. Yet Gembrook Hill is one of the most—to use the parlance of the day—IYKYK estates going.
The story of its birth as the pipe dream of a Melbourne CBD dentist through its emergence as an Aussie domaine par excellence is an engrossing one, and can't help but include many brilliant people, not least founders Ian and June Marks. The wanderings and creative trailblazings of their son, Andrew, is a saga in itself—and it's hugely refreshing to hear about the depths of creativity and thoughtful friendship that go into painting a bright future for a homegrown gem like this.
Fagan ritual: Far beyond the bread and butter
Chances are you’ve drunk Sarah Fagan’s wines. Chances are you’ve been impressed. Chances are you’ve never heard of her. Chances are she wouldn’t care. After all, if you liked what you tasted and felt it was money well spent, why waste time thinking about who made it? That would be inefficient—and Sarah Fagan can’t abide inefficiency.
If it’s taken a while for Fagan to come to your attention, she was quick as a flash in gaining trust and respect from those in the know. Beginning with a three-month stint in her final year of university, she kicked off a 20-year stretch at De Bortoli in the Yarra Valley. In 2023, she finally left to join TarraWarra, a 40-year-old, 26-hectare estate in Yarra Glen. And now you’re going to notice her, whether she likes it or not.
Strange Case Of Dr Tim & Mr Shand
Tim Shand has an alter ego. There’s Tim: Offspring of two teachers, incisive, earnest looking – even a touch of the nerds about him. Logistics whizz; lob a few moving parts at him and he won’t flinch – just knock up something tidy in no time. And then there’s Shandy: Impish grin, sense of mischief, sub-surface surge of quiet confidence. Bit of a smart-arse; probably rubs a few people up the wrong way. Intuitive, impulsive and with more flair than perhaps he realises.
Talk to him you and you sense the tension between Tim and Shandy, something akin to the counterbalance ‘twixt smooth fruit and acid cut, has always been there. This profile, written in July 2017, looks at this multifaceted talent that was always destined to go far.
Don Quijote de la Yarra
“I’ve always enjoyed a sense of adventure, and as you get older you realise that pretty much everyone is on a journey in some respect,” says Andrew Marks. The self-styled Wanderer’s peregrinations between the Yarra Valley and Spain’s Costa Brava make him obvious fodder for Vininspo!