By Whistler
ORANGE | SALTY SWEET
If you could bottle a clear, sunshiney day – it would be this wine.
WHAT WE TASTE
Apricot, grapefruit pith, sunshine
PERFECT PAIRING
Our house pickles, picnics and good friends
TEMP CHECK
Enjoy this wine chilled but not ice cold as it’ll hide all the flavours and aromas
ABOUT WHISTLER
The story of Whistler (“Pfeiffer” means “whistler” in German) starts in 1982 when Martin Pfeiffer, a third-generation grape grower and former head vineyard manager at Penfolds, purchased the Heysen estate. In 1994, he planted cuttings of the famous Kalimna 3C Shiraz from Penfolds’ iconic Grange vineyards, and they released their first wines in 1997. The Pfeiffer family has been growing grapes for four generations, starting with Albert Heinrich in the Riverland region. After Martin and his wife Sally retired in 2020, their son Sam took the reins.
THE GOOD THINGS THEY DO
When Sam Pfeiffer took over the family estate after his parents retired, he kept the organic and biodynamic practices that they started in 2013 & 2020 respectively. He proudly shares, “We haven’t used a herbicide or pesticide on our patch of dirt since 2013!” More recently, they’ve installed a solar panel system on their barrel storage shed, which not only powers their winery but will eventually let them give some energy back to the grid.
Water is a big deal in Australia, so they’ve decided to add rainwater storage that can hold nearly 50,000 litres. This means Whistler will be completely self-sufficient when it comes to water, without needing to tap into the Murray River.
OUR FAVE THING ABOUT THIS WINE
Another hit on the label front! The willow tree that grows next to the dam on the estate where the fruit is sourced; Saturn represents the “other-worldliness” of skin contact wines; and a clay pot reminds us that, while orange wine is recently trendy, it’s a practice that’s been around for a long, long time.
THE TECHNICAL STUFF
Place: Barossa Valley, Australia
Grapes: Sémillon, Riesling
Style: Summery and sippable
Ingredients: Grapes & minimal sulphites
