DIVERGENT

Korean BBQ, beef cheek cannelloni, cherry liqueur chocolates

A little minute in the fridge ain’t gonna hurt nobody

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.

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.

This sweet lil’ thang does just what the name says – diverging from the usual big boy Barossa reds, instead delivering a pure medium-bodied delight!

Place: Barossa Valley, Australia
Grapes: Syrah, Mataro, Grenache
Style: Not your normal Barossa red
Ingredients: Grapes & minimal sulphites