Fleurieu wineries have their name in lights following wine aficionado James Halliday’s annual awards night on Wednesday 5 August.

One of big winners of the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion Awards was Varney Wines, named the Best New Winery.

The Varney Wines label is the newest labour of love from Alan Varney and wife Kathrin, who also run winery, brewery and kitchen Victor’s Place, at the top of the Victor Harbor-Adelaide Road, or the “gateway to McLaren Vale”, as Halliday calls it.

For more than a decade, Alan was the senior winemaker at d’Arenberg, and he has also worked with Orlando Wines and Longview Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. He has international winemaking experience, including vintages in California, New York and Portugal, which Halliday says “shines through his grape selection, including Spanish, Portugese and Italian varieties, as well as the Australian classics”.

Alan has a degree in oenology from Melbourne University and started out working vintages in Central Victoria.

Describing Alan’s strong relationships with local growers, Halliday says, “many are lasting friends and trusted suppliers of grenache, mourvedre, shiraz, touriga, nebbiolo, cabernet sauvignon, fiano, semillon and chardonnay”. 

Varney Wines’ grapes all come from special vineyards in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills (and one small parcel from Langhorne Creek).

Halliday praises Alan’s intuitive choices: “whole bunch, whole berry, extended cold soak, carbonic maceration, indigenous/wild yeast, submerged cap, foot treading, extended post-ferment maceration – whatever the fruit requires”.

However, new oak, fining and filtration, are all “off the agenda”, and few of the wines exceed 14 per cent alcohol. But, they have a common theme of “brightness and freshness of the varietal fruit expression, coupled with effortless balance and length”.

“All wines are medium-bodied and supple, and will gain added complexity with time in bottle,” Halliday says.

Alan describes the nod from Halliday as, “truly an honour”. 

“This award could not have been possible without the amazing people around us.

“Kathrin and I are truly humbled and we wish to thank all of our supporters, growers, collaborators, friends, and family for all the help we have received since we started chasing our dream. 

“Great things happen when you surround yourself with amazing people.”⁣⁣

The Wine of the Year, which last year went to Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale, also has a link to the McLaren Vale area.

Halliday selected the 2018 Brokenwood Graveyard Hunter Valley Shiraz as this year’s choice.

McLaren Vale expat Iain Riggs AM has worked with the label since being headhunted in 1983 to become Brokenwood’s first qualified winemaker.

Halliday explains, “his track record of making trophy-winning chardonnay in McLaren Vale being the deal-maker”. 

“Iain’s wisdom has been the rock on which one of Australia’s best small to medium-sized wineries has been built.

“After I had decided that this Graveyard was the Wine of the Year, Iain announced he was retiring on 30 June 2020, but he will remain on the board of directors.”

Other Fleurieu wineries acknowledged on the night included Langhorne Creek’s Bleasdale Vineyards, which made it into the top 10 of the Best Value Wineries.

“Ten of Bleasdale Vineyard’s wines in the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion received over 95 points, all with value rosettes: a potent example of Langhorne Creek’s ability to produce lovely wines at a modest price, from estate vineyards that have been significantly upgraded in recent years,” Halliday says.

Meanwhile, McLaren Vale wineries Blewitt Springs Wine Co, Ox Hardy and Paralian Wines all made it into the top 10 Best New Wineries.

For more information, visit James Halliday’s website.