Rebels of Wine : Sam Vinciullo
In our blog series; ‘Rebels of Wine’, We get personal with some of our wine makers who showcase their talents through minimal intervention methods of wine making and their passion for terroir (amongst other things that excite them). It is with their commitment to creating honest and true wines that we are able to build the foundations of our offerings. Let's get crackin!
This month we were honored to sit down with Sam Vinciullo who makes, stunning natural wines from the Margaret river region of Australia.
Give us a little insight on your journey so far?
Studied Winemaking at Adelaide University and then spent time travelling and working harvests from California to Argentina to Italy. For sure the biggest evolution in my philosophies came from my time on Mount Etna between 2010 - 2014. I didn’t want to go back to making wines that weren’t alive and had no purity/energy again.
What is the most memorable dish you have had :
Probably a rustic lunch in the countryside in Sicily. It was in an old stone hut and we had homemade pork sausages grilled over grapevine cuttings by the old man of the vineyard. Drank his homemade wine too which went well with the fatty sausages.
What is your most prized possession :
My wooden rainstick I bought from an art gallery in South Australia in 2003. It comes to life with the sound of rain by itself.
What does natural wine mean to you:
Grapes that are grown organically, don’t have to be certified, made with no additions/no fining/no filtration and no sulphur.
How do you forsee wine 50 years from now?
That will depend on how we act in this new decade. We have to stop polluting the planet and causing it to warm otherwise growing grapes will be the least of our worries!
Best and worst purchases you have made? :
Best is my Rainstick and worst is any meal you buy out of desperation and regret immediately.
Three wines from our inventory that you would recommend to our patrons: